Memoirs
by JustJos16
Summary: Atem is dead, and so are all of the Guardians, except for Seto. Only one person is left to tell their story: his sister, Jasana. Includes most of the characters from Ancient Egypt arc, but this is mostly about Mahado, and Atem, involves OC. INPROGRESS
1. Tears and Comfort

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Yugioh or any of the characters in my story. This story is purely fan, and I wrote it so that I can test my writing skills. However, Princess Sahm-Aset (Jasana) is a character of my own imagination.**

**Author's Notes: I did research for help with making up the princess' name. My pronunciation might not be completely accurate, but "Sahm-Aset" is supposed to mean "Daughter of Isis". "Aset" is another name for the goddess. Also, please ignore the spelling of some of the names (Akhnadin and Akhenamkanen). There are lots of variations, so I just winged it. I would greatly appreciate reviews. Thanks!!**

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I am Sahm-Aset, daughter of the great Pharaoh Akhenamkanen, and Queen Hathoraset, one of the greatest sorceresses in Egypt. The scribes will record my name as Sahm-Aset, and all of the pharaohs, queens, princesses, and such will know me as thus. But that is not my real name, as given to me by my mother and it is not my name as I call myself. Those close to me call me by the name Mother gave me, Jasana, and it is what I call myself. But this does not matter, and I doubt if my descendants will know that I had even existed, though I am a powerful magician in my own right, as was my mother, but now it seems that her existence matters only to me. Those to come after will not care about her, or me, but I will make sure that they remember my brother, the brave Pharaoh Atem.

The tears come now, and I cannot stop them. My dear brother, Atem, is dead. So are his loyal Guardians, save for Seto, who is now Pharaoh. I weep for them all. Isis, who was my dearest friend; I loved her as I would love a sister. Karim, who was always so kind to everyone, including me; I'll never forget all that he did for me. Shada- I admired how he put his heart into everything that he did, even as he laid down his life for Atem. I weep even more for Akhnadin, my dear Uncle, who was more of a father to me than my own father was. Why, why did he turn against us so? How could he have harbored such a hatred for my father? I'll never understand how he could have changed so drastically so suddenly. I wish that everything that had happened was a bad dream, but when I think of how Akhnadin changed into a man that I no longer recognized, I wish even more that it was a horrible dream that was never true.

But I weep the most for Mahado. He was more than just my love and husband. He was my comfort, my confidence, he was my best friend. The bond we shared was beyond the physical bounds of this world. I still feel his spirit within my soul. I still remember his face clearly on the day that he walked to his death: His shoulders squared with determination, his eyes fired with his undying loyalty towards his Pharaoh, and his heart beating with his love for me. Of all the Guardians, he was the one whose devotion to my brother was the strongest. It was so strong that it even brought him back to life as my brother's eternal servant…

I have witnessed much in my life thus far, and I am afraid that I must say although I have experienced much joy, the sorrow I have experienced should not be experienced by anyone. Through my grief, I am comforted to realize this: Atem died the most noble of deaths. He sacrificed so that not only Egypt, but the entire world, would be free of the Dark One. He is the one that will always be remembered for generations to come. But Isis, Karim, Shada, and Mahado died just as bravely. They died doing fulfilling their vows to protect the Pharaoh. They did their duty, and now I must fulfill mine. It is my duty to ensure that the Egypt will remember not only how the Pharaoh died, but how he had lived, and how his loyal Guardians lived and died, as well…

But Mother also contributed much, and although she has been dead for many years, I must tell her story too, for she gave her life to bear Atem. So I must go to the beginning of it all, when there was no threat of Zork…and all was peace and happiness...

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**Thanks for reading!! If you would be so kind, please review and let me know what you think! Is this a good beginning? My writing skills need much improvement, so I would LOVE structural criticism so that I can improve my skills. I'm working on Chapter 2 right now, and it'll be up soon!**


	2. Mother's Love, a meeting, and a promise

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Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

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"Please, Mother! Please, tell me a story!" My little three-year-old hand tugged at her sleeve, my light turquoise eyes begging with her. It was bedtime, and my mother, Queen Hathoraset, was tucking me in. 

"Very well, which story would you like to hear tonight?" she patiently asked, knowing exactly what my answer would be.

"The one of Isis and Osiris!" I cried with enthusiasm. That was my favorite and it tells of the love Isis and Osiris had for each other. It was so strong that not even death could stop Isis from being with her love. It was so strong that it enabled her to bring him back to life…(1)

"Jasana, my little jewel," my mother chuckled, her amber eyes shining softly, "you have heard that one ten times already. You must have it memorized! Though you are only three, I wouldn't be surprised if you do. Why don't I tell you one of Hathor, and how she became the Eye of Ra?"(2)

"No! I want to hear the one of Isis and Osiris again!"

My beautiful mother smiled down at me, and, snuggling next to me in my bed, without saying another word, began her story. "Long ago, almost at the beginning of time, Nut gave birth to four children-"

"On the same day?" I interrupted. I'm afraid that I was very headstrong, even when I was three.

"Don't interrupt, or else I won't finish the story," Mother gently warned. "She gave birth to two girls, Isis and Nephthys, and to two boys, Set and Osiris. Isis and Osiris had fallen in love in their mother's womb, and together they ruled over Egypt, teaching the people the ways of civilization. They lived together happily, and it was a time of prosperity for Egypt…"

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I don't remember much of my third year on this world, except of all the time that Mother spent with me. I don't remember seeing my father at all, except when he received people from foreign lands, and even then I always stood beside the throne, next to my mother, trying to behave as perfectly as a Princess should, so that Aset (3) would be pleased… 

But wait- I do remember seeing my father, and I knew that he loved me. I remember being held in his arms as he looked at me, and as he told Shimon that the gods had blessed him indeed by sending such a daughter as me. He bragged that I had Hathor's beauty, Thoth's (4) wisdom, and Ra's blessing. Everyone thought that I must have had Ra's special blessing indeed if he had woven strands of his light into my own hair. I had seen it too, for there were strands of golden and red in my otherwise dark hair.

Yes, Father would let me sit on his knee, and he had shown me off to the crowds below the balcony, but other than that, I saw little of him.

Mother always made sure that I didn't notice my father's absence of involvement too much. One of my favorite childhood memories is that of our rides. Although I was too young to ride, Mother would still take me along. She would hold me in front of her with one hand, and hold the reins in her other. I would hold on to the horse's mane as we galloped along, and it felt like we were flying over the golden sands. After the rides, Mother would go around the stable and feed cubes of sugar to the horses. She taught me how to hold the cube with my hand flat so that the horse wouldn't bite me. Shyly, I handed one to a five-year-old black mare named Nephthys. She approached me cautiously, warily sniffing my treat before eating it. After she had finished, she lowered her head down to nudge me on the shoulder and I gave her a pat on the nose before she raised her head and trotted away to the other side of her stall.

"What a beautiful horse!" I jumped slightly when I heard a voice beside me. I looked and saw a boy gazing at Nephthys. He had short brown hair, but what I noticed the most were his eyes. They were a deep and dark blue, as blue as the River Nile. They were the most beautiful eyes I had seen, or will ever see.

Smiling, I asked, "Would you like to give her a pat on the nose?"

The boy nodded, with a shy smile on his face. "He has a pretty smile," I thought as I called out to Nephthys and held out my hand so that she would come nearer. She walked over quickly at the sound of my voice, and once again lowered her head to my level, curiously gazing at us through her soft dark eyes. The boy reluctantly laid a hand on her nose, and she cunningly reached out between the boards in the fence and nudged him on the shoulder, just as she had nudged me.

After she again retreated to the other corner, I bravely asked, "What is your name, boy?"

"I am Mahado." His eyes met mine, and for the first time he smiled at me, his eyes smiling as well. "If you do not mind me asking, what is yours?"

"I am Jasana."

"That seems like a long name. What if I called you 'Jani'?"

I smiled at the sound of the name. "Fine, but your name seems long too. If you call me 'Jani', then I get to call you 'Mad'." My own name did seem long to me, but then again it would seem long to any four-year-old child. From that day on, it was settled. He would be Mad, and I would be Jani.

We talked for a little while before my mother approached with a woman I didn't know and said, "Ah, I see that the two of you have met. Nebatet," she was talking to the woman, "this is my precious daughter, Jasana."

The woman made a little bow and smiled at me. "Greetings. I am your mother's dearest friend, Nebatet. I believe that you have met my son, Mahado." She gestured towards him, and he and I smiled at each other before he bowed just as his mother had done.

"Jasana," my mother turned from her friend towards me, "I think that it's time that you learn how to ride, one of the skills necessary for a young girl of your class. Nebatet and I have arranged for you and Mahado to learn together. It is my greatest wish that the two of you will become companions." After she said this, she and Nebatet shared a smile and nodded to each other. After Mother had said this, Mahado and I looked at each other again and smiled. I hoped with all my heart that my mother's wish would come true.

And it did.

Day after day, Mahado and I would make our way to the stable, talking the entire time. When we had reached the stables, I always ran up to our teacher, my uncle Akhnadin, and he would pick me up in a big hug and say, "There's my little Princess!" After greeting Mahado, we would mount our horses and begin our lesson. We both made quick progress, and soon we were racing across the golden desert. At first our mothers rode behind us, but we always galloped ahead of them, slowing down only when they called out to us. Eventually Mother and Nebatet let us ride by ourselves, since we always rode to the same oasis and rested there.

Those were the most peaceful days of my life. Sometimes, if I close my eyes and focus, I can still picture Ra's golden smile showering upon us, the breath of Shu (5) whipping my hair, and the sound of Nephthys' hooves beating into the sand mingling with my laughter. I loved those rides because it was only then that I was free. There was no one to remind me to act as a Princess should, or to scold me for putting myself in danger. I did not know back then that my days of freedom were numbered.

One day, as we were sitting in the sand by the oasis and letting our horses rest from the hard gallop, I asked Mahado, "Mad, we are good friends, aren't we?"

"Of course we are, Jani." His voice ringed with assurance.

"Even though I am a princess?" I wanted to ask him this because I had heard whispers that I shouldn't be associating with him since he's only a commoner.

"If you would agree with me, Jani, I think that it does not matter. We are the same, are we not?"

Hugging him, I said, "You are absolutely right. Can you promise me something?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"Promise me that we will always be friends, just as we are now, even when I become Queen. Don't let anything come between us, promise?"

Holding out his hand to help me stand up, he solemnly replied, "I promise. When you do become Queen, I'll become Egypt's most powerful magician, and then I'll be the most loyal High Priest under your command." With that, he knelt at my feet with his hand over his heart, as the priests kneel before my father. I laughed when he did that, and then, after I got up on my feet and we had mounted our horses, ready to go back to the palace, he continued, "I'm sure that you will be as fine a Queen as Hatshepsut herself." Confidence rang in every word he spoke, and I smiled, honored that he would compare me to the great Hatshepsut. With that, we kicked our horses and galloped back to the Palace.

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Note:

1- The myth Jasana refers to is a popular one, telling of how Osiris became the ruler of the Afterlife.

**2-This is another popular Ancient Egyptian myth involving Hathor, the goddess of beauty, fertility, and many other things**

**3- The goddess Isis was also known as Aset. I will use this name for her in order to avoid confusion with Priestess Isis. She is a goddess of motherhood, the Mistress of Magic, and the protector of the throne of Egypt, especially of the queen.**

**4- Thoth is the wise god of writing, and a god of magic as well.**

**5- Shu is the god of the wind**

Thanks for reading!! I would love reviews and structural criticism so that I can improve my writing. I'm sorry that the notes seem long, but they are necessary to fully understanding the story. I hope that you liked this chapter! 


	3. Dawn of Change

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh!**

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Soon after that, Mother told me that she had convinced Father to have me trained as a prince should be trained. This would mean that I would learn sword fighting, more advanced horse riding, and, most exciting of all, the ways of sorcery and magic. I was so happy that I didn't mind the fact that I had to wait until I was seven years old before I could begin learning magic. 

I had to learn how to read and write first. So Mahado and I learned together, and after our lesson we would test each other on our hieroglyphs. Although there were other noble children learning with us, Mahado and I became the top pupils in the class. Our teacher was pleased with both of us, but he focused most of his praise for Mahado, saying that even Thoth himself would be pleased with his talent. I usually didn't mind, but then, during one lesson, I started to get irritated and jealous. That's when I heard a shy voice behind me whispering, "Don't be jealous, Princess. You are just as good as he is, and Thoth would be pleased with you too." I turn my head to see a girl slightly older than me, her eyes filled with sympathy. I also noticed that she and I were the only girls learning to write in the group of students. I smiled gratefully and then redirected my attention to the teacher. Later, I found out from Mother that the girl's name was Isis.

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On the fourteenth night of the second month in the eighth year of Father's reign, my sixth birthday, I had the first of my dreams… 

_The blue sky instantly turns dark and gray, and I watch with horror as thousands of men come riding on horses towards the city, swords and spears raised. As they charge in, they kill everyone in sight, even women and children, and the air is thick with terrible cries, screams, and the moans of the dying. Houses are set on fire, and the sound of swords and spears clashing subtly pervades all sounds. The door barges open, and those horrible men come in, their swords red with blood, and their armor too. I tremble with fear- Mother, where is my mother? Why am I alone? Oh, Aset, help me! I open my mouth to scream, but nothing comes out. I try to run away, but I can't move. A man stands over me, raising his sword…_

I awoke, sat straight up in my bed, and screamed until I ran out of breath. My mother came running into my room, my father running behind her, and Uncle Akhnadin too. There are sounds of confusion and footsteps in the hallway, and the dim light of moving torches.

Mother rushes to me and enfolds me in her arms. "What is it, Jasana?" The concern in her voice was mirrored in her eyes, but I didn't notice. I looked around me, wondering for a second if I was dead. Realizing that I was in my own room, I clung to Mother and buried my face in her robes, sobbing, "Mother, I'm scared!

Running a soothing hand through my hair, she asked, "Of what? Did you have a bad dream?"

"I saw the city burn! I heard screams, the most horrible screams, and those men- there were thousands! They killed everyone in their sight, and then they came for me and you weren't there and I was all alone and then this man raised his sword to kill me and-"

"Don't worry yourself, Jasana. It was only a dream" Father said softly, laying his hand on my shoulder. Then a guard walked in, saying that the watches didn't see anything strange.

"Maybe that dream wasn't just a dream." We all turn our heads to look at Akhnadin. As he regarded me intently, he continued, "We should go to the Priestess of Aset at once. It could be an omen, for you know as well as I do, Brother, that war is raging. Don't you agree, Queen Hathoraset?"

Mother silently nodded her head and looked at Father. He sighed and said, "Very well, but we go in the morning." He kissed me on the forehead before leaving my room. Mother told him that she would stay with me, and he nodded and left.

Uncle knelt down so that his face was on the same level as mine. With an amused smile on his face, he chuckled and said, "No more bad dreams tonight, my little Princess, all right? No more bad dreams to spoil your birthday sleep." I smiled and nodded eagerly, and after sweeping me in a huge hug, he left. But I was still very frightened, too frightened to even ask the hundreds of questions that I always asked when I didn't understand something. Mother sat with me in my bed, one arm around me, and I leaned my head on her shoulder as she started a story, one that she knew would put me to sleep.

"Long ago, almost at the beginning of time, Nut gave birth to four children…"

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"Uncle, where are you going?" I asked frantically. It had been five days after the night of my dream. On every night between my sixth birthday and that day, I had the same dream over and over again. Once the Priestess of Aset knew of these recurring dreams, she had told Father that my dream was indeed an omen, and so Father called for a council of some sort. After waiting for hours with Mahado, Father's meeting with his council was finally over, and if there was anyone who would tell me what happened, it was Uncle Akhnadin. But he seemed to be in a hurry, as if he was going to do some important task. I ran to keep up with him. As I ran, I bombarded him with questions. "What happened in there? Are we going to be attacked? Was my dream really an omen? What are you going to do?" At this, I paused to catch my breath. 

"I'm going to save Egypt, my little Princess." He kept on walking, not even slowing down as he answered.

"Save Egypt? Are we in danger? Will those horrible men come?"

"Yes, Egypt has enemies. But if I succeed, those men won't touch our city, and they will not harm Egypt. That is why I'm going away on an important task-"

"What task? How long will you be gone?"

Seeing that I wouldn't be satisfied until he explained some things, he stopped walking, and then he knelt to face me. I saw that his face was a mixture of anxiety and determination, and his eyes were somber. "I will be gone for seven days." I opened my mouth, but then he raised his hand to stop me, and so I remained silent. "I know, it seems long, and yes, I will be in danger," he somehow knew that I would ask if he would be in danger, "but I must take risks to save Egypt, so that those men won't come and that our people may live in peace. I'm going to make sure that your dream will never come true. That is all I can tell you right now. But you must keep this a secret. No one must know that I am going. Do you swear that you will not repeat a word I just said?"

"I swear by the Feather of Maat!" I replied, feeling honored that he would entrust me with such a secret. (1)

With a relieved smile, he stood up. "Good. So, I will see you again in seven days, Jasana." As he walked away, it did not occur to me that there would be a good reason to be worried about him.

A few days after his return, our enemy attacked. I stood with Mother, Nebatet, and Mahado on the balcony as we watched the men approach. I was trembling with fear, but I saw that Mother was calm, and there was only a hint of apprehension in her eyes. I knew that Father was there, at the gates to our city, with Uncle Akhnadin, Shimon, three other priests, and a priestess that I didn't know of. They each possessed an item, which I later learned were Millenium Items, created by Uncle Akhnadin on his seven-day task, and each of the seven Items possess a special ability. I didn't know exactly what powers the Items held, but I hoped anxiously that these Items would crush our enemies, and SOON!

Suddenly the approaching men screamed, and I saw that some of them were retreating. I leaned over the palace rail to try and get a better view of what was happening. It appeared that there were seven creatures of some sorts, and they were driving our enemy away! I cheered, and Mahado, who was standing beside his mother, rushed to join me at the rail. "What's happening, Jani?" he asked anxiously.

"The men- They're retreating! Our enemy's retreating! Mother! Do you see?" I was just about ready to dance around in joy.

"Yes, I see." I heard her breathe a sigh of relief. "Aset, Hathor, and Nekhebet (2) be praised!"

Then, we saw Father, Uncle Akhnadin, and the five other ones, they that were now called the "Sacred Guardians of the Pharaoh", riding in triumph towards the Palace. Mother turned and ran to greet him, and Nebatet followed her. I stood by the rail in some sort of reverie, wondering what exactly my uncle had done to save Egypt, and how he managed to harness such incredible power. I knew that the power the Items contained couldn't possibly have been conjured up from nowhere…

"Jani, let's go! Don't you want to see your uncle again?" Mahado's voice broke me out of my train of thoughts. I smiled and nodded, and together we ran to follow our mothers.

That night, the whole palace was celebrating, and I slept a long, peaceful, and undisturbed sleep. There were no dreams of fire or attacking men, and I was glad of it.

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A few months after that, Mother said to me, "Jani, you are going to have a little brother or sister!" I gasped, and my heart pounded with excitement. Nebatet was with us, but Mahado wasn't, and I no longer remember where he was. I was sitting in Mother's lap as she was combing my hair. 

Before I could ask a million questons, Nebatet said, "Hathoraset, I fear for you. I've heard so many stories of women and their childbirth labors-"

"Nonsense, Nebatet! There's nothing to worry about. The goddesses will protect me." But for a moment, Mother trembled with fear, and she gripped my shoulders tightly. This sent a chill through me, and later, I thought: _Why is Nebatet worried? Should I be worried too?_

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**1- Maat was the Goddess of Truth and Justice. Her feather was used to judge the hearts of the dead**

**2- Nekhebet was a vulture goddess venerated as the protector of the pharaoh, and she was also worshipped as a protector of women, children, and as a goddess of childbirth**

**Thanks for reading! I would greatly appreciate reviews too! It might take me a little longer to publish Chapter 4 now that Harry Potter 7 is out... **


	4. The Birth of the Prince

**Disclaimer: Do I honestly have to say it again? See Chap. 1**

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_Aset, Great Mother, watch over my own mother. Nebhet, Mistress of the House, grant my mother comfort, _Mother's pains had begun hours ago. I could feel my knees shaking with fear as I knelt on the cold floor, my eyes shut in concentration on my prayers.I heard Mother scream, and a wave of fear passed through my heart. I concentrated even more on my prayers. _O Hathor, give my mother strength. O Meskhenet, Lady of the Birthing Brick, grant my mother a safe delivery. Nekhebet, guard my mother from harm. Heqet- I beseech thee, keep my mother safe. Taweret- be with my mother, please, I'm begging you, don't let anything happen to her… _(1) 

I tried in vain to think of more goddesses of childbirth to pray to. I hoped that the goddesses would listen, even though I didn't make any proper offerings or addressed them by all of their titles. I wasn't old enough to learn how to beseech the gods properly, but I didn't care. Even as I prayed, all I could think about was that Mother was in pain, and they won't let me anywhere near her! I was shut up in a room down the hall from where Mother was giving birth, with only Mahado to keep me company. Uncle had gone to be with Mother. He told me to stay here, promising that he would come back when it was appropriate for me to see Mother. Without anyone else to pray to, I got up and began to pace out my fury at not being allowed to see Mother, and my anxiety over her safety.

"Jani, if you keep pacing like that, you'll wear down the floor and fall through!" I turn to look at Mahado. His face was drawn with worry. "It's best if you would get some sleep. You look so pale and weary."

"How can I sleep when Mother's in pain and there's nothing I can do but hope that the gods will hear me?!" I immediately regretted the sting in my voice, but Mahado knew very well that my fury was not meant for him. Besides Mother, he knew me better than anyone else did, even back then.

"At least try, Jani. It's what your mother would want you to do if she saw you like this." he implored. I sighed and stopped pacing. I settled onto the bed- in my anxiety I didn't realize that we were in Nebatet's room. Mother often took me here. Thinking about Mother filled me with a sick feeling of fear. I looked anxiously at the door, wondering if Uncle Akhnadin was coming back as he had promised.

"Don't worry, I'll keep watch, and I'll wake you when Master Akhnadin comes back." Mahado seemed to have read my mind. Grudgingly, I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. But at that moment, I had a vision…

_Mother is struggling, gasping for breath, and then she moans in pain. Nebatet murmurs to soothe her, and then I hear Mother say, "I'm not going to make it, Nebatet. This baby will kill me!"_

I woke up with a gasp. Mahado, who had been standing by the door, appeared at my side. Taking my hand, he said, "What's wrong, Jani? You're trembling!"

"Mad, my worst fear is coming true. Mother's going to die! I saw her in one of my dreams! Just like the ones about the men coming!" I told him all about the vision/dream that I just had.

"But Jani, those dreams never came true. Those men never succeeded-"

"They almost did. But I have a bad feeling about this one," I argued.

"You only heard your mother say that, Jani. That does not mean that it will necessarily come true. Even the visions that great magicians have do not always have a direct meaning. Your mother will be just fine."

I wanted to retort, "What else is my dream supposed to mean?" However, I was too worried about Mother to do so. I said nothing further, and neither did he. I got out of the bed and sat on the floor with my back against the wall, hugging my knees. Silently Mahado joined me, and together we waited for Uncle Akhnadin to come back. I wished that I could find comfort in Mahado's words, but alas, I found none.

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The sky to the east was turning gray when Mahado and I heard shouts saying, "It's a boy! A Prince for Egypt! The gods be praised!" I immediately got up and ran to peek into the corridor. Cheers were ringing throughout the palace. I strained my ears to listen for any word of Mother, but there was none. 

Then Uncle Akhnadin came. The expression on his face was grim, and I couldn't tell if it was from exhaustion or from worry. In a steady, but emotionless tone, he said to me, "Jasana, you may go and see your mother now. She would like to see you as soon as possible." Silently, I took the hand that he offered me and followed him into the corridor. Mahado followed, and he grasped my free hand as if to give me some comfort. There were so many questions that I wanted to ask my uncle, but for once I remained silent. I became aware that the cheers had been reduced to ominous whispering. Although the room where Mother lay was just down the hall, the walk there seemed to be much longer. With each step I took, it felt like my heart was being weighed down more and more by dread and anxiety.

When we finally reached the threshold to Mother's room, I hesitated for a moment to go in, afraid of what I was going to see. I felt a squeeze on my right hand, and I turned to look at Mahado. He gave me a reassuring smile before gently pushing me forward. I walked into the room. Father was there, and once he saw me enter he silently retreated from Mother's side so that she could speak with me. As I approached Mother's bedside, I felt slightly relieved to see that she was smiling at me. But that relief went away when I realized that she seemed to be very weak.

I grasped her hand, and despite the lump in my throat, I managed to utter, "Mother…"

"Ah, my dear Jasana, my precious daughter…" Mother spoke softly, her thin voice barely above a whisper. "Oh, my dear, your face is so pale! You have been worried, haven't you?"

I nodded, doing my best to swallow my sobs and hold back my tears. Mother smiled sadly as she pulled her hand out of my grasp so that she could stroke my cheek. I started to cry, and she wiped away my tears as she said, "I'm sorry that you have to see me like this, that you have to go through so much pain." Sighing, she continued, "Alas, I'm afraid that you will have to endure much more of this sorrow, and I'm sorry that I won't be there to see you through it."

"W-What do you m-mean? You- You w-will g-get better, w-won't you?" I stammered through my sobs.

"I wish it was so, my dear, I really do. But that is neither here nor there, and there are things that I must ask of you. Firstly, look after your little brother," she had a brief coughing fit, and then she continued, "for he will be Pharaoh one day. Be a mother to him, and… and help him when he needs you. Can you promise me that?"

I nodded. At this point her voice was so faint that I had to strain my ears so that I could hear her. I could barely see her face through my tears. "Then listen to me, Jasana, and listen to me carefully. I have to tell you this…before I go… Don't worry about me, my precious jewel…It's my time to go…I promise that we will meet again in the next life…"

"Mother…please…please stay with me!" I sobbed. "I need you!"

Mother lifted her head to kiss my cheek. "You are strong, Jasana, and I know…I know that you will overcome this…and one day you'll be a powerful sorceress, I can see it… even though you won't be Queen now. Do not worry, I will always watch over you, and I will always be with you, inside your heart…"

Mother was too weak to say anything more, and so I laid my head down on the side of the bed and wept as she lovingly stroked my hair. Father sat silently on the other side of Mother's bed, grasping her other hand. As Ra's light filled the room, Mother murmured, "Farewell, my love, and farewell, Jasana, my jewel…" I raised my head and gazed at Mother. Her eyes shone, and she smiled as she reached out a trembling hand to stroke my cheek one last time. After a moment, her hand dropped to her side, her eyes closed, and then she was gone.

* * *

"How sad, the Princess is only seven! She is way too young to be without a mother." 

"Yes, the poor child, she has been weeping, I can see it in her face. Yet she is beyond her years in strength, have you noticed that she does not weep in anybody's presence? But this death has hit her hard, and she grows thin. I hear that she's been refusing to eat. I wonder what will become of her, now that it is the Prince who will rule and not her…"

The two idle maids were too busy to notice me sitting nearby in a remote corner of the palace. Not wanting to hear any more gossip, I silently rose and walked along the rail, absorbed in my own thoughts. I did not care for what the maids said about me, or what anyone else said, for that matter. Khonsu's light (2) had strengthened and waned three times since Mother's death. After night upon night of weeping until dawn, I found myself unable to release another sob. Instead, I had become quite like an emotionless statue. I didn't feel any happiness when I stood by the throne that morning and Father had presented my brother to the people of Egypt, and when people bowed before me telling me how grieved they were to hear that Mother died, I always murmured some brief words of gratitude, or some sort of formality in an emotionless tone, never looking at them in the eye lest I burst into tears in front of them. But nothing I did, and nothing anybody said, could get rid of the pain. The grief was like a heavy stone lying on my chest sometimes, and at other times it was like a knife stabbing into my heart.

I wished that everyone would just leave me alone. There were always people telling me to be brave, for that is the proper thing for a Princess to do. There were those telling me that it was my duty to smile and appear to be happy for the birth of my brother so that the people of Egypt would be happy too, and it was my duty to set an example for the people. Constantly, when I sought to be alone, there were those noblewomen who would squawk, "Princess, it is your duty to do this…" or "Princess, it's your duty to do that…" Apparently they lacked the common sense to see that I was in no mood to be happy, and they were foolish enough to assume that I would overcome my grief in just a month.

I went to the stables to visit Nephthys; I knew that she would be just the comfort that I needed. When she saw me, she whinnied a delightful greeting, and I couldn't help but smile. As I prepared her for a ride, I heard a voice say, "Going somewhere, my little Princess?"

I jumped. Uncle Akhnadin stood right by my side. I expected for him to start lecturing me against going out on my own, but he didn't. Instead he just looked at me curiously, waiting for me to answer his question. I replied, "Uncle! Why, yes, I'm going on a ride. I wish to go alone, though. I just need to…um…" I didn't know how to explain why I wanted to go out on a ride alone. I just needed to get away and find some peace, and I knew that a ride with Nephthys would grant me what I needed. However, I doubted if Uncle Akhnadin would understand just how I was feeling at this moment. But, again, he proved me wrong.

"You just need some time alone, and some peace. Is that why, Jasana?" He asked softly. Seeing me nod, he then said, "But what about the banquet tonight? It's held in the honor of your little brother, surely you would want to go, wouldn't you?"

Suddenly I remembered how the noblewomen had lectured me, and anger rose within me as I said defiantly, "No! I don't want to go! I don't care if it's my duty to go and act as if all is well! I don't care if I should pretend that everything's all right, that there isn't a sharp pain tearing through my heart with every single breath, and that it is the way it was before Mother…" My anger suddenly subsided, and my voice broke as I suppressed a sob.

Uncle embraced me and said soothingly, "Ah, I understand. You are still grieving, and for you, the pain is still fresh. Very well, I shall go and tell your father that you will not be attending the banquet because you are indisposed. Will that please you?"

I nodded, wiping away a few tears. Smiling, my uncle lifted me up onto Nephthys, and after I grabbed the reins, he told me, "Promise me that you will be back no later than an hour after sunset. Wherever you go, Jasana, I hope that you will find the peace that you seek. It might seem impossible, but one day, your grief will end. And know this: Even though Mother is gone, she will still live on through you."

"How is that possible, Uncle?"

"One day you will understand." After he said this, my uncle walked away, reminding me, "One hour after sunset, Jasana."

I leaned against Nephthys' neck, and whispered, "Please, Nephthys, please take me somewhere, somewhere far away from here." My horse's ears pricked forward, and we galloped out of the stables. As we got further and further from the palace, I felt the grief in my heart slowly slip away. After a while, Nephthys slowed to a trot, and I saw that we had arrived at the oasis where Mahado and I always went whenever we rode. I slid off of Nephthys' back and sat down on the golden sand.

Even though Mother's death was three months ago, I still couldn't believe that she was dead, that she would never be able to ride with me to the place where I now sat, and that I would never again hear her tell me the story of Isis and Osiris…

Thinking of Mother brought more tears, and this time, instead of trying to hold them back, I let myself cry to my heart's content. As I sobbed, I wondered if I would ever stop crying, or if I would ever stop grieving for my mother.

* * *

Ra had not yet passed into the Afterlife when I rode back to the palace, the stabbing pain in my heart somewhat receding. I felt as if some peace had replaced the heavy feeling of grief that had settled in my chest. A little weary from my ride, I let one of the stable boys take Nephthys to her stall. 

"Finally you've returned!" I turned, and I felt my heart lift as I saw Mahado standing in front of me. The last time I had seen him was before I went to see Mother in her last moments.

"Hi, Mad. It's good to see you again."

He nodded, his eyes shining, and said, "I missed you, Jani. Are you all right now?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

He smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good to hear."

"I'm awfully hungry though. Do you know where Uncle Akhnadin is? I want to tell him that I've decided to go to the banquet after all."

Mahado beamed when I said this, and without saying anything, held his hand out to me. I grasped it and followed him, feeling the sorrow in my heart slowly fade away.

Then I paused for a moment, suddenly remembering Mother's last words to me. "I'll always be with you," she had told me, "inside your heart..." _What did she mean? _I thought to myself. _How can she be with me when she's already gone?_

Wondering why I had stopped in my tracks, Mahado asked, "What's wrong, Jani? What are you thinking about?"

"Well, I just remembered what Mother said to me, right before she...she...died. She promised that she would always be with me, but I don't see how it's possible."

Pulling me into a comforting hug, he whispered, "I'm sure she'll find a way."

"Do you really think so?"

"I'm sure she will, my little Princess," Uncle stood in front of us, his eyes twinkling down at me. "If there's one thing that you children should know, it's that mothers always find a way to keep their promises to their children."

* * *

**1- There are other gods associated with childbirth, but the ones in the story are the main deities for childbirth.**

**2- Khonsu was the god of the moon. The god Thoth was also associated with the moon as well.**

**Thanks for reading! Sorry it took me such a long time to update... it took me a little longer to work this one out. I hope it's OK! Please review and tell me what you think! I don't know when Chap. 5 will come out since school starts in a little less than two weeks. I'll do my best to get Chap. 5 up by then!**


	5. A New Identity

**Disclaimer: See Chap. 1**

* * *

"For shame, Princess! It was most undignified of you to…" I rolled my eyes as I sat on the chair, listening to Meta ranting about my seemingly "unbecoming" behavior. That "behavior" was going out on one of my rides with Mahado, a perfectly routine thing for me to do. As she ranted, I paid little attention, instead letting my thoughts run wild in my head. _Ugh, __**she **__thinks she's the right one to take __**Mother's**__ place? This old windbag?_ I smirked as I tried to suppress a laugh. 

"Wipe that look off your face, Princess!" I pretended to look remorseful. When she resumed her yelling, I returned to my thoughts. Meta was a noblewoman who assumed the role of looking after my well-being. Father didn't appoint her; she appointed herself. I was now nine years old, and since Mother's death, Nebatet had been the one that I looked to as a mother, not Meta. Nebatet was so much more like Mother than Meta was, and I definitely preferred her to the woman now shouting at me. If it wasn't for her, I would not have been able to stand this lecturing.

Fortunately for me, at that moment, Nebatet walked in. Meta stopped her shrill scolding and demanded, "Yes, Nebatet? What do you want?"

Nebatet, calmly ignoring Meta's rude greeting, turned to me and said, "Jasana, it is time for your magic lesson. Mahado is waiting."

"You mean it's time for her to act improperly again! Honestly, I see no use for magic lessons for the Princess. Her role is to only fulfill her duties, not to go learning things that are too dangerous for her. If I were her father, I would cancel them straightaway and-"

At that moment, the door shut, and I gratefully walked alongside Nebatet. The thought of Meta taking away my magic lessons made my blood run cold. I loved learning magic; it gave me something to look forward to. Learning magic meant that I was guaranteed to see Mahado, even though Meta was doing her best to keep us apart, for some reason.

Seeing the worried look on my face, Nebatet said, "Don't worry, Jasana. Meta won't succeed in getting rid of your magic lessons, no matter how hard she begs or how long she talks of it to your father." I giggled when she said that, and then she continued, "Your mother made your father promise her that he would raise you no differently than he would raise your brother, and to treat the both of you equally as well."

Hearing this, I smiled, and finally we came to the courtyard. Mahado stood waiting for me, his back turned. As I ran to him, he turned around and smiled. I took the hand that he offered me and together we went to find our teacher.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Mahado and I were in the courtyard again, practicing our magic. We had learned how to conjure items, and Mahado and I were conjuring large pots to line the courtyard. 

"Excuse us, Princess, but may we have the honor of joining you in practicing magic?" I had heard that whisper before. I turned around to see Isis standing behind me, and she was with a boy that I didn't know. I smiled at her and nodded.

Mahado appeared by my side. "You learn magic with us, don't you? What are your names?"

Isis replied shyly, "I am Isis, and this is Karim." She gestured towards the boy, and he smiled and bowed before me.

Karim asked, "You are Mahado, correct?" Mahado nodded, and so we proceeded with conjuring pots.

Conjuring pot after pot soon bored the wits out of me. I entertained myself by etching patterns on a pot using magic.

Suddenly- SPLASH! A stream of water had engulfed me, and I was now soaked. I whirled around, intending to get back at whoever conjured that water at me. Mahado pointed at Karim. Before Karim could protest, he got soaked with a stream of conjured water. Karim aimed a stream of water back at me, but I ducked, and Isis got hit. Then Isis' conjured water, though aimed at Karim, hit Mahado, and that was how our water fight broke out.

So we aimed streams of water at each other, shouting and laughing the entire time. There was another boy walking by, and Karim called out to him, "Shada, come join us! It's fun!"

The boy lightheartedly replied, "No thanks, I really want to finish reading this scroll, I'm almost done with it." He held up a scroll in his hand before he walked away.

Soon after he walked away, we saw our teacher, Master Thutmose, come walking by. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" he roared. The four of us froze, and I immediately performed a drying spell right as he came into view. The whole courtyard was now dry, we were no longer soaked to the skin, and there was not a drop of water in sight. Our master walked over and glared down at us.

Isis was shaking with fear, and Karim stood rooted to the ground, but Mahado and I were doing our best not to laugh at the sight of our fuming teacher. "What is the matter, Master?" I asked as innocently as I dared to.

As Master Thutmose looked around, he saw, in fact, that nothing was wrong, and that everything was in perfect order. Looking absolutely befuddled, he stammered, "I-I thought that I heard splashing."

"Well then, you must have heard wrongly, Master. As you can see, we have only been conjuring pots to decorate the courtyard. There is nothing wrong with perfecting what we learned at our lessons now, is there?" I was perfectly calm, but I saw that Mahado smirked. I nudged him hard with my elbow so that he wouldn't laugh.

Master Thutmose looked at me suspiciously, and I blankly stared back. Realizing that he couldn't prove that we were doing anything wrong, he slowly said, "No, I suppose you weren't doing anything wrong, Princess. At least, I hope that you weren't doing anything that would displease Lady Meta." I didn't flinch when he said that; it is my guess that he was hoping I would.

"Don't worry, I would rather die than displease the _honorable_ Lady Meta, who hovers over me as a mother," I said in a falsely sweet voice, "_would never do so in her right mind," _I muttered under my breath. Mahado was shaking with silent laughter.

"Yes-well- er, carry on." Master finally walked away. When he was out of earshot, the four of us fell to the ground laughing. I was pretty sure that Master Thutmose didn't believe me, and he would surely tell Meta, but not even the thought of Meta could hamper my happiness. I found two new friends, and they would be a huge comfort to me in the times to come.

Then Nebatet came, saying to me, "Come, Jasana. It's time for you to get ready for supper. You too, Mahado."

As I walked away, I called over my shoulder, "Shall we meet here again tomorrow?"

Karim nodded, and Isis exclaimed, "Oh yes! We would love that, Princess!"

"Call me Jasana."

"Well then, see you tomorrow, Jasana!" Karim called.

* * *

Two months later, I sat at a dinner banquet, talking to Mahado and laughing as Meta tried to make my little brother, Atem, eat. Atem was a little over two years old, and already he could walk around on his unsteady feet and speak a few words. Meta was trying to force him to eat, holding the spoon in front of his face. Mahado and I laughed as he took the spoon out of Meta's hand and flung the food right into her face. 

"If I were you, dear Lady Meta," I sneered, "I would **kindly ask** the Prince to eat, and offer it to him in a **kind **manner, instead of trying to force it into his mouth."

I took a grape, sliced it in half, and made it hover in front of Atem. His face was filled with wonder at the sight of the grape hanging in midair, and he reached out his hand, trying to grab it. The grape hovered out of his reach, and back down again. Atem tried to grab it again, and again I made the grape hover out of his reach. Finally, on the third try, he succeeded in grabbing it, and he looked at the grape curiously before eating it.

Meta looked absolutely furious, and although there were other people around, she said sharply, "Princess, it is not becoming for you to perform magic at the table."

"But it is my duty to make sure that the Prince, my brother, eats and does not starve," I retorted. I smirked as shock filled her eyes, and when she said nothing back at me, my heart glowed with a triumphant feeling.

I left my chair, and went to the other side of the table where my brother sat. He smiled when he saw me coming. I took the spoon and gently held it in front of him, saying, "Don't you want to eat, little Brother? You need to eat, so that you can become strong enough to be the Pharaoh." My brother willingly ate the food that I offered him. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Meta glaring at me furiously, and I expected her to start lecturing me against feeding my brother like a lowly maid.

But before she could open her mouth, everyone at the table fell silent. As I made my way back to my chair, my father stood up, cleared his throat, and said, "I have something to say. As we all know, my daughter Jasana is growing up quickly." I blushed at the mention of my name. "And we all know that she is becoming quite an accomplished sorceress." My cheeks turned a brighter red. Finally, Father got to the point. "It is my wish that my daughter's name now be known as Sahm-Aset. Henceforth all shall address her as Princess Sahm-Aset."

My head spun, and I felt faint as everybody raised their goblets to toast me. Mahado looked at me worriedly. I did not eat another bite for the entire banquet, and as I sat in my chair, waiting fervently for the banquet to be over so that I could leave the table, I saw my uncle eyeing me curiously.

I still felt really faint, but slowly I felt my fury rise within me, and in my thoughts I thundered, _What is the meaning of this? How dare Father do this to me!! How dare he take away my name, the very name that Mother gave me! Why would he do this? I __**like**__ my name; I don't want it to change! I __**refuse **__to be addressed as Sahm-Aset! I won't stand for it! I won't!_

* * *

"I don't understand, Uncle. Why would Father want to change my name? WHY?!" I paced back and forth across my Uncle's chamber, barely able to contain my rage. 

Uncle sighed. "Unfortunately, I do not know the answer, Jasana. You will need to ask your father. But I do know that it was Meta's idea, and your father agreed."

"He would agree with that CRONE? HOW DARE SHE!!!!! SHE IS NOT MY MOTHER!!!" I was shaking with fury now, and Uncle embraced me, but I pushed him away and stormed out of the room.

* * *

I sat sulking in a corner of the palace near my bedroom. I still felt angry, angry that my own name would be changed. To me, Sahm-Aset was a totally different person; she wasn't me. I am Jasana, not Sahm-Aset. I was deeply troubled at this, and even more troubled at the fact that I didn't understand **why **Father saw that my name had to be changed. 

"I thought I would find you here, Jani." Mahado's voice broke the silence of the night. I didn't look at him. He sat down beside me and put his arm around my shoulder. I sighed, doing my best to let go of my fury.

But then, realizing that he still called me "Jani", I said to him, surprised, "I thought that everyone was supposed to call me 'Sahm-Aset'. That's who I am now." My voice was filled with bitterness.

"You do not like the new name?" Mahado asked softly.

"No! I don't understand what's going on, Mad. I'm not any different than I was in the morning, and now here I am, supposedly a whole new person with a whole new name! I don't understand why…I don't understand what's going on…" My voice broke, and a few tears rolled out of my eyes.

Mahado tightened his grip on my shoulder. "You are only Sahm-Aset if you want to be. You do not have to accept the new name if you don't want to. To me, you are still Jani, and you are still my best friend. No matter what, you will always be Jani to me. I promise you that."

I smiled. "And you'll always be Mad to me."

* * *

The next day, I made my way to Atem's room, Mahado by my side. When he saw me, my little brother walked to me on his unsteady feet and called out, "Jasana!" 

Much to my amusement, Meta was there, and when Atem had called out my name, her eyebrows shot up. As gently as she could through her gritted teeth, she chided, "Your sister isn't Jasana anymore. She's now Sahm-Aset." Also, at the sight of Mahado by my side, she scowled.

Atem turned to look at her, and then, grasping my hand, he said firmly, "Jasana."

Meta, looking a little frustrated, said, "No, she is now Sahm-Aset."

Atem shook his head, and repeated, "Jasana." I smiled when I realized what he meant. He wouldn't call me "Sahm-Aset", and I found it to be touching. I also reveled in the exasperated look on Meta's face.

Allowing myself to laugh, I said, "It seems to me, Meta, that the Prince doesn't understand what you're saying. Or it might be that he does not like the idea of me being called 'Sahm-Aset'," at this, I looked at her straight in the eye, "as do I."

Meta glared at me, and I glared back. "Well, like it or not, Princess," she said with as much authority as she could muster, "it is your father's wish, and so you shall be known by that name."

"It is your wish too, is it not? You are the one who suggested that I be called 'Sahm-Aset'." A look of fear spread across Meta's face, and I felt my eyes become steel, and anger rose within me.

Before Meta could say anything, I waved my hand to dismiss her. She said spitefully, "You are definitely Hathoraset's daughter, Princess Sahm-Aset. You are just as defiant and just as foolish."

She intimidated me for just a moment, but then I felt Mahado's arm brush against mine. I regained my strength. Never breaking eye contact with her, I said proudly, "Yes, I'm glad that you can see that. I am Jasana, Princess of Egypt, and I am Hathoraset's daughter through and through. Do not **ever** forget that."

After she walked away, Atem looked up at me anxiously. "Jasana…not Sahm-Aset?" he asked me.

I knelt down to his level. "That's right, Little Brother," I said brightly, "I am Jasana, not Sahm-Aset."

A huge grin spread across Atem's face, and he flung his short stocky arms around my neck. "Good!" Mahado and I laughed, and then we went out into the courtyard to play.

* * *

On the night of my tenth birthday, Meta paid me a visit in my room. Behind her walked Isis, and we exchanged a small smile. 

Meta bowed, and then she spoke. "Princess, now that you are growing, it's time that you have a companion, a **female** companion. This is Isis, a very **dutiful **and **obedient** girl. It is my hope that she will set a good example for you, and hopefully with her around you will no longer need to associate with…with…" I glared at her, daring her to call Mahado "low-born", "with that boy." I stood with my arms crossed, my eyebrows slightly raised. If Isis was meant to replace Mahado, then Meta was stupider than I thought she was.

"Isis!" Meta barked. Isis slightly inclined her head. "It will be your duty to watch over Her Highness. You shall tell me if she misbehaves."

Isis inclined her head again. "Of course, Lady Meta, I will," she waited until Meta left before adding, "on the day that Ra begins his journey in the west and ends it in the east." She smiled at me, and I laughed and hugged her.

We spent that night talking. Isis told her story, of how her mother and father had died when she was very young, and how she came to be at the Palace. Her aunt is the holder of the Millennium Necklace.

"I know exactly how you must feel, Isis, being without a mother. My own mother is dead too," I whispered sadly.

"Yes, I remember that, Princess Jasana; I'm sorry." For a while neither of us said anything, and then Isis continued, "But there is something you should know about your mother, and why your father had changed your name- rather- why Meta changed it."

"You know the reason?" I gasped in surprise.

"Yes. Well, Meta didn't tell me herself, but I overheard her. You see, she hated the Queen, your mother. She was jealous of her for many reasons, especially because she became Queen, and therefore the most powerful woman in Egypt. She wanted that role for herself."

"She honestly thought that she could be the **Queen**?" I was half-shocked, and half-amused. I knew that Father would have seen right through her. Then, catching myself, interrupting, I said, "Sorry for interrupting, Isis. Continue."

"Well, I suppose that they had been friends when they were younger, but eventually Queen Hathoraset became closer to Nebatet, and, of course, Meta got jealous. When you were born, Meta sweetly asked the Queen if she could be your nurse. I suppose that Her late Majesty saw that Meta only wanted power, and no longer trusting her, your mother refused to give her the position, giving it to Nebatet instead. The Queen decided that if anything should happen to her, it would be Nebatet, and not Meta, who would take her place."

"So that is why Nebatet looks after me now!" I exclaimed. I was glad of it, too. The thought of Meta taking care of me as Nebatet did make my skin crawl.

"So, Jasana, Meta had your name changed, because she thinks that if she changed your name to one of her own choosing, she would be able to have a greater hand in raising you to be the Princess she wants you to be. She is changing your name so that she can have greater power over you."

I gasped. "That snake! I will never be controlled by her! She is vile, indecent, and insufferable!" It was hard for me to keep my voice down so that I wouldn't wake Nebatet, who was sleeping in the room next to mine.

Isis grasped my hand, and whispered, "That is why I'm here, Jasana. Know that I'm your friend, and you can trust me. I promise that I will not be a puppet of Meta, and I implore you to not fall under her spell. I am here to give you strength and courage."

I smiled and squeezed her hand. "Thank you so much, Isis. You already are a good friend of mine, and I trust you with my life."

I stayed awake that night, pondering over what Isis had just told me. It made so much sense now. I understand why Meta always seems to glare at Nebatet with hatred, and why she doesn't like Mahado, my Mad, my best friend. It came as no surprise that she was only seeking power, but I felt my anger rise again as I realized that she seeks power through _me._ She assumed her so-called "motherly" role as revenge against my mother, and it became clear to me now. By getting rid of my name, the name that Mother chose for me, she was trying to get rid of the part of Mother that dwells within me.

I went over what Isis said again and again in my mind. Meta's plan was not going to work, and I would make sure of that. Meta could never make me forget that Hathoraset was my mother.

I got out of bed, and silently crept towards the balcony. I gazed at the moon, and I thought fondly of Mother.

I whispered into the silent night, "Mother, Mother, can you hear me? I am your daughter, I am Jasana. Nobody can change that, not even the gods. Know this, dear Mother, whatever Meta wants out of me, I will not let her have it. I will not let her succeed with her vile plan, and I will ensure that she does not get anywhere near Atem. I will not let her make me forget about you, never…But I am frightened, Mother, I need strength. Please, can you hear me? I need you Mother... be with me…Where are you?"

I closed my eyes, and two crystal tears ran down my cheeks. At that moment, I felt a faint breeze caress me, and my heart stirred with a warm, indescribable feeling. I smiled, knowing that it was the spirit of my Mother, and I knew that she had heard me.

There would be tough times ahead, but I knew that with the memory of Mother to carry me on, and with my friends by my side, I would overcome them.

* * *

**AN: In Ancient Egypt, the name (the ren, as the Egyptians called it) was very important. It was considered to be a very part of the individual, and that is why the changing of her name upsets Jasana so much. **

**Thanks so much for reading!! Please review and tell me if there's anything I need to improve on. Most likely I'll get Chap. 6 up before school starts next Tuesday. **


	6. Growing Up

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh. If you still don't believe me, see Chap. 1**

* * *

_I open my eyes, and I look around for a second, wondering where I am. Why, this is my room, but there's sunlight streaming in, and there's a little girl sitting on the chair in front of the mirror. Wait-this can't be, that little girl is the six-year-old version of __**me. **__Yes, she has my very own light turquoise eyes. I stand right beside her, and I try to speak to her, but she can't hear me._

_"Ah, good morning, my little jewel!" My heart flips over as I see who walks into the room. Mother! This can't be right, my mother's dead. But here she is, with Nebatet by her side, and she takes my six-year-old self into her lap and starts to brush her hair. Then she says, "Jasana, you are going to have a little brother or a little sister!"_

_Nebatet says, "Hathoraset, I fear for you! There have been stories…"_

_"Nonsense, Nebatet! There's nothing to worry about!"_

_My surroundings blur, and I am in my Mother's room. My younger self is saying, "Mother, what are you doing?"_

_"Hold still, Jasana." She holds up a mirror framing her face along with that of my younger self, and when she moves, the image stays in place. Then, Mother waves her hand and chants a few words, and the image disappears from the mirror and reappears on a piece of silver._

_"How did you do that, Mother?" my six-year-old self asked in wonder._

_"I'll teach you someday, my dear," Mother replied._

_The next thing I know, Mother is lying on her bed, groaning in pain…and then she lets out an earpiercing scream…_

I sat straight up in my bed, my heart pounding, and my forehead covered in cold sweat. Taking care not to wake Isis, I grabbed a cloak, wrapped it around myself, and left my room. As I walked, I murmured a spell so that my footsteps could not be heard. Reaching my favorite corner of the palace, I sat down, and began to contemplate the dream that I just had.

Every year, on the night before my brother's birthday, I always relived the night of my mother's death in my dreams. There were other nights when I would dream of her as well, but it was only on these nights that I dreamt of her dying. Even dreaming my dream before didn't make it less painful, and, sure enough, I felt the familiar stabbing pain in my heart return. With the pain came the grief, and the longing for Mother.

I guess I can say that by that time, I had gotten used to the dreams, even though I had not gotten used to the pain. I have had other dreams as well, involving either the past or the future. Uncle Akhnadin told me that such dreams were a gift from Aset and Hathor. Father knew that I had dreams, but he refused to think that they were anything special. Meta somehow found out about my dreams (probably Father told her about them), and she considered them to be a curse, a punishment for me being my mother's daughter…

I felt a hand softly settle on my shoulder, and I jumped slightly. Seeing that it was only Mahado, I relaxed. Somehow, he always knew when my dreams were troubling me, and every time I left my bedroom to go and sit in my favorite corner, he always kept me company.

"How did you know I was here, Mad?" I asked anxiously. If he had been able to find me, would other people be able to find me as well?

Mahado smiled. "I saw your shadow as you walked by; I could not fall asleep anyway."

"You had the dream again, didn't you, Jani?" he whispered.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I nodded.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I slowly shook my head, and silently Mahado sat down next to me, and together we gazed up at Nut (1), and counted all the akhs (2) we saw falling down to the House of Geb (3).

After a while, I said, "It still hurts, Mad, even though it's been five years. It still feels like she died only yesterday."

"I think that's to be expected, Jani. Grief takes a very long time to heal. That's what Mother told me after the Queen died;, she told me that it would have been better to leave you alone for a while so that you can grieve and start to heal, and she explained it all to me."

"But sometimes it feels like I'm still grieving, and it feels like it'll never go away," I sighed.

"I'm sure that it will heal more and more as time goes by. All you need to do is to be patient." Mahado squeezed my hand as he said this.

"I hope that you're right, Mad."

"Do you feel better now?"

"A little bit. Thanks, Mad."

Hand in hand, we made our way back to our rooms. Remembering Mahado's words, I managed to fall back into a deep and dreamless sleep.

* * *

The next night, I was in Atem's room with Mahado, Isis, Karim, and Nebatet. My little brother was playing with all the new toys that he had received for his fifth birthday. Nebatet calmly sat in a chair watching him, which left me free to talk with Isis, Karim, and Mahado. Mahado and I were now twelve. Isis was thirteen, and Karim was fourteen years old, and serving as an apprentice to his father, the High Priest of the Millennium Scales. 

"How is it, Karim, being apprentice to a High Priest?" Mahado asked.

"It's going quite well. Soon you'll be apprenticed as well, will you not?"

"Yes, to my uncle."

"I'm sure that you will be a great apprentice," I said.

Then Karim asked me, "What about you, Princess Jasana? What are you going to do?"

For once in my life, I did not have an answer to his question. Instead, I remained silent, thoughts racing in my mind. _What will become of me? I mean, I won't be Queen now, as Mother said, so what does the future hold for me?_

I finally managed to stammer, "I…I don't know…I suppose that for now I'll just keep learning magic and trying to improve myself, so that I can become a great sorceress, like my mother was, and when my brother becomes the Pharaoh, I'll help him to the best of my abilities."

Suddenly, Isis and Mahado frowned, and I looked to see what they were staring at. Meta had just entered the room. Upon seeing her, Nebatet said, "My my, it is getting late! Come, my Prince, it is time for you to go to bed."

"Must I really?" Atem whined.

"My Prince, I am sure that your sister will be glad to tell you a story before you retire. She is a very good storyteller, and one story she tells very well is the story of Aset and Osiris," Meta said, a malevolent smile on her face.

My head spun, and the stabbing pain returned so suddenly that for a moment I could not breathe. All the while, my brother was saying, "You know that story, Sister? Oh, please, do tell me that story!"

I stuttered, "I- I'm not sure that I remember it." That was a lie. I had memorized the story, but just the thought of it brought back painful memories of Mother.

"That story is such a beautiful one, but nobody seems to have remembered it," Isis said. "It would be such an honor for you to tell it to us, Princess Jasana."

"It's been a long time since she heard that story, Isis," Nebatet said quietly, seeing the look on my face. "Perhaps she could tell another story."

"Now, now, Nebatet, the Prince wants to hear the story of Aset and Osiris, and I'm sure that Princess Sahm-Aset will be so kind as to fulfill that request?" Meta said in a falsely sweet voice. I strongly wished that I could blast that smug look off her face.

At this point Atem was begging with me, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nebatet nod to me, her eyes filled with sympathy. "All right," I said in a shaky voice, holding back tears as I recalled how the story went. "Long ago…almost a-at the beginning of time… N-Nut gave birth to f-four ch-children-"

My voice broke, and tears streamed down my cheeks as I abruptly turned and ran from the room. I waited until I reached the courtyard before breaking down into sobs. Mahado came, and he gently wrapped his arms around me. I flung my arms around him and sobbed wildly onto his shoulder.

After letting me cry for a while, he asked, "Did that story have something to do with your mother?"

Trying to compose myself and steady my voice, I nodded and replied, "Yes…that story- well, Mother always told it to me…when I was younger…I always wanted to hear that one and no other."

Releasing me from his grip, Mahado said, "Ah, I see, and you were not ready to tell it just yet, were you?"

I shook my head. At that moment, Isis and Karim appeared. "Is Meta coming?" Mahado asked nervously.

"No, that knave is arguing with your mother; she won't be coming this way. If she does, then I will gladly curse her," Karim said solemnly.

Isis took my hand in both of hers, tears welling in her eyes. "Jasana, I'm so very sorry. I- I didn't know what that story meant to you. I had no idea…"

"Neither did any of us, Isis. It's not your fault," Mahado said soothingly.

"No, it definitely was not your fault, Isis," I chimed in, wiping away tears and squeezing her hand. "All blame goes to Meta; she was the one who suggested and insisted on that story." At the mention of Meta, anger creeped into my voice. "She just wanted to cause me pain and show how weak I was in front of all of you-"

"You are **not** weak, Jani," Mahado said firmly.

"As a matter of fact, Princess, you are the strongest person that I know of. You would have to be brave to stand up against that shrew of a woman, and to insist on keeping your own name in front of her face. Also, nobody else besides you could have performed that drying spell quickly enough to save us all from punishment." Karim's words brought me great comfort, and thinking of our water fight in the courtyard, I couldn't help but laugh.

"You shouldn't let Meta bother you, Jani." Mahado's eyes met mine, and for some reason, I noticed that under Khonsu's light, his dark blue eyes appeared to be gray. "You are already ten times the magician she never was, and I know that in time, you'll grow to be ten times the woman that she is not."

My heart leaped when he said that, and I felt the heat rise to my face. Trying to distract myself, I said, "Well, I probably should not have run from the room like that. Maybe I should have told Atem the story after all."

Isis said, "There's no need for you to worry, Princess Jasana. Nebatet told the Prince that she would tell him the story when she was done dealing with Meta." After a short pause, she continued sarcastically, "And yes, I must say that running from the room in tears was a most undignified and unbecoming thing for you to do, Princess." Hearing her mock Meta in such a way that made all of us laugh surprised me; I had always thought that Isis was too reserved to make a joke.

Feeling much better, I said, "I really want to thank you three. You are the best friends anybody can ask for."

* * *

I had just turned thirteen and started my monthly bleeding when Meta summoned me to her rooms. Knowing that this could not be good, I walked to her rooms with dread in every step I took. Finally when I arrived, I saw that Meta was planning to lecture me again. 

"Princess Sahm-Aset," she began, ignoring how I grimaced at her calling me by that dreadful name, "now that you are becoming a woman, it is time that you be more restrained and dignified with yourself. Hence, you are hereby forbidden from riding out alone. You must now always ride out with an escort, when you are allowed to ride, that is. I shall make sure that you do not leave the Palace too often." My jaw dropped, and I was seething with fury, but then Meta continued, "And when you ride with an escort, you may **not **choose Mahado. You are not to ride alone with that low-born, good-for-nothing son of a shrew."

At this my anger burst out. "He is not low-born! He is a kinsman of the High Priest that holds the Millennium Ring, and his mother is a noble lady, and she is much more of a mother to me than you will ever be!" I argued.

A fleeting look of fear crossed Meta's face, and then she said imperiously, "Watch your temper, Princess! I will not be spoken to like that, and it is not wise for a Princess of Egypt to lose her temper and to lose control of her tongue!"

"Then, Meta, I suggest that you watch **your** tongue!" I flared.

We glared at each other, and then Atem came in, saying happily, "Jasana! You have to come and see me ride; I've gotten so much better at it!" Taking my hand, he pulled me out of Meta's sight. As we walked, my brother continued lightly, "Besides, you wouldn't want to be with that horrible woman, would you?"

"No, I wouldn't. Thanks for rescuing me, Little Brother." I smiled and ruffled his spiky hair.

* * *

"Something's troubling you, Jani. What is it?" I could sense the concern in Mahado's voice. As we watched my brother ride, he called out to him, "Very well done, my Prince!" 

"It's Meta- She just forbade me from riding out alone, so now I need an escort at all times."

"Well, it won't be that bad, if I'm your escort, will it?" His lips curved into a small smile.

Intently watching my brother ride, I said, "That is the worst part. Not only am I forbidden from riding out alone, I'm also forbidden from riding out alone with you!"

Mahado looked at me, his face filled with shock, and then he looked away. He sighed, and replied, "But it is not for her to say. I mean, surely it's above Meta's position to command a Princess around and tell her what she may or may not do. That power lies with your father alone."

Cheering up slightly, I said, "You're right, Mad." It was a relief to know that she did not have that kind of power over me. She was just a noblewoman, but I am a Princess, a Daughter to the Throne of Egypt. Though I am not in line to rule, I am still a descendant of Horus, and therefore a descendant of Osiris and Aset herself. (4)

But then my cheer faded away when I realized something. "But Meta persuaded Father to change my name. Surely she could persuade him to do what she wants him to?"

"Well, I do not know about that." He then turned and smiled at me again. "But I do know that it will take time for your Father to issue that order. Until then, Meta's command is not in effect, and we are still free to ride."

Then a young girl came running, and when she stopped, catching her breath, Atem called out, "Mana! What brings you here?"

"It's time for our writing lesson, Prince. You haven't forgotten, have you?" she teased.

Atem smiled sheepishly. "Well, I almost did. Thanks for reminding me," he said as he slid off his horse. Turning to me, he asked, "Were you watching me, Sis? How did I do?"

"Yes, I was watching you, and you were excellent!" Hearing that, Atem smiled and gave me a big hug.

"Do I really have to go and learn how to write? It's really boring, actually. Please tell me I don't have to go." Atem's big eyes looked pleadingly into mine.

"You have to learn how to read and write," I said gently, "or else you won't be able to rule Egypt when you grow up, and you won't get to learn magic-"

"You mean the kind of magic you and Mahado learn? I'll get to learn that when I'm older?"

I nodded. "But first, you have to learn the basics, so study hard, all right?"

"All right, I will, if you say so," Atem sighed dejectedly. Then he followed Mana, and they ran back to the Palace.

When they were out of sight, Mahado and I saddled up our horses, and once again we galloped to the same oasis that we always rode to when we were at Atem's age. How long ago it seemed back then! And now, as I recall all of this, everything seems like an eternity ago.

When we returned to the palace, I saw that Uncle Akhnadin was waiting for me. He said to me warmly, "Jasana, your father would like to see you as soon as possible. He wishes to speak with you." Fear filled my heart, since I guessed that Father had summoned me to carry out Meta's wish of forbidding me to ride with Mahado. I looked at Mahado, trying to express all of my worry and fear through my eyes. He seemed to have understood, for he whispered, "Go on. Be strong, Jani." He then squeezed my hand and released it, and reluctantly I followed my uncle.

As we walked, my uncle said, "So, Jasana, I hear that you are becoming quite a spellcaster. I have seen you, and you have definitely inherited your mother's talent." His eyes twinkling down at me, he continued, "Forgive me for saying so, but your mother would be very proud of you."

I had kept my eyes fixed on the ground, but then I looked up at him and asked, "She would?"

Uncle nodded. "Yes, she would say that she couldn't ask for a better daughter, and not just because of your talent. You grow more and more like her everyday and even Nebatet agrees with that. Anyone could take one look at you and see that you are Hathoraset's daughter, and no one else's, Jasana."

I smiled. I knew that Uncle was trying to give me comfort in his own way. The doors opened, and the guard announced to my father, "Your Majesty, Her Royal Highness, the Princess Sahm-Aset."

My uncle swooped me up in a hug, and then he murmured, "Go in there and be your mother's daughter, Jasana." Summoning all of my dignity, I raised my head high and swept into the room. Meta was there, at the foot of the steps leading up to where Father sat.

I bowed, reminding myself to keep an expressionless face. "Father, you wished to see me?"

"Ah, yes, my daughter, I did. Let us get to the point. It has been brought to my attention by Meta that you have been behaving improperly with Nebatet's son, Mahado." Meta's eyes glinted with evil.

Swallowing my dread and trying to keep myself steady, I asked, "If I may ask, Father, what have I done exactly, according to Meta?"

"She says that you have been alone with him numerous times, and that you have been frolicking with him. I must say that this behavior cannot go on, Daughter. It is not proper for a Princess of your age."

"What is not proper about being with a friend, Father?" I asked, my temper slightly rising.

"There is nothing wrong with being friends with a boy like Mahado," Father said. Then Meta cleared her throat, and he continued, "But there is something wrong with acting with a boy as if he was more than a friend, as Meta says you have done so with Mahado."

"She lies!" I cried, my full fury pouring out.

Father held up his hand to silence me. "Nevertheless, my daughter, I cannot have your reputation tarnished. Therefore, you are forbidden from being alone with him anywhere. You may not pass messages to him, or talk to him alone."

My mouth opened in anger, and I could not find myself with anything to say. Father then said a little more gently, "It will not be that bad, Jasana. You may still see him, and you can still practice magic together, but others must be present with you."

I said nothing, but bowed stiffly to Father, and then stormed out of the throne room. I quickly walked to my bedchamber, on the brink of tears, and flung myself onto the bed.

I saw that Meta had followed me, and then she said shrilly, "Princes Sahm-Aset, that is not dignified-"

"BE SILENT!!" I screamed. "GET OUT OF MY SIGHT! NOW!!!!!!!!! AS PRINCESS OF EGYPT AND THE DAUGHTER OF ASET, I COMMAND YOU!!"

Meta haughtily stalked out of the room. When she was finally gone, I started to weep. I was not sure of why I wept so much, but I did.

Isis stood quietly by my bedside as I cried. When my sobs had receded a little, she hugged me and said, "Don't worry, Princess Jasana. Things are not as bad as they appear to be."

"What do you mean, Isis?"

She reached into her sleeve and pulled out a chunk of broken pottery. I remember that it was something that Atem would use to practice his script, as I did when I was his age as well. She pressed it into my hand and said, "Here's a message for you."

Looking down at the pottery, I replied, "But it's completely blank!"

"Well, of course it's blank for now, because the message bearer wanted you and only you to see this message. What you have to do is take your forefinger, trace it around the edges of the piece of pottery and say, 'I am Jani, friend of Mad, and to whom you were commanded to show thyself.'"

My heart leapt when she said that, because it could only mean that Mahado was the one who wrote this message. I did exactly as she told me, and words began to form on the pottery piece. The words were tiny, so I squinted to see what they were.

"_Jani, this is Mad writing. The Prince overheard everything that was said in the throne room, and so did I. Meta is not doing this just for the sake of your so called 'safety', there's something else she's trying to do, and I do not like the look of it. Listen to me carefully, Jani. We will find a way around this, starting with these messages. Do not despair, for try as Meta might, she cannot destroy our friendship."_

I laid awake that night for quite a while, thinking about everything that was going on. Things were changing, even between Mahado and me. Whenever we talked, I couldn't help but notice that heat would rise to my face occasionally, and whenever I was with him, something stirred within my heart. I did not understand what I was feeling, or why I was feeling the way I did.

Then there was the relationship between Father and me, or rather, the lack thereof. After Mother's death, he was even more distant and colder than ever. I could not help but be jealous when I saw him being so affectionate with Atem, and praise him for all of the progress that he was making. Try as I do to remember, I do not remember him ever asking me about my progress with my magic studies. It was always Mother who did that, and my Uncle too….

And, finally, there's that horrible wench, Meta. Her actions troubled me, because I knew that she was after something, but I did not know what it was that she sought. Either way, it was clear that she was bent on making my life difficult, and she was trying very hard to raise me in her way. _What is she trying to do? _I wondered. _Why is she trying to prevent me from seeing Mahado? Why?_

In the faint moonlight, I looked at the piece of pottery that I held in both of my hands. _"Try as Meta might, she cannot destroy our friendship."_ I smiled at the words Mahado wrote, and still holding on to the piece of pottery, I turned onto my side and fell asleep at last.

* * *

**1- Nut was the goddess of the sky, and she is usually shown as a woman standing on all fours over the earth. **

**2- Once one passed the Judging of the Heart in the Hall of Maat, he/she is believed to be an akh and joins Nut in the sky (as a star, in other words). An akh is a full spirit form, and once a person is an akh, they have the ability to travel on and over the earth. This is just one belief of the Ancient Eyptian afterlife.**

**3- Geb was Nut's husband, and the god of the earth. Because of this, the land was sometimes referred to as the House of Geb. **

**4- The pharaoh was believed to be a descendant of Horus, who is a patron of the Pharaoh. Horus was the son of Osiris and Isis (Aset). **

**Thanks so much for reading!! Please review too! I ask that you be patient with me from this point forward, since now school is back into full swing, and I am going to be VERY busy, so I do not know when the next chap. will go up. I will do my best though, so please stay with me. Thanks!**


	7. The Silver Rings

**Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own Yugioh!**

* * *

I squinted my kohl-rimmed turquoise eyes against Ra's dazzling rays. Mahado stood on the other side of the courtyard facing me, waiting for my attack. Drawing in a big breath to gather my _heka_, I conjured a thousand daggers. For a moment, they hovered in the air behind me, their sharp gleaming points staring threateningly at Mahado. Then, with a commanding stroke of my arm, they raced like silver arrows towards him. He quickly performed a Shielding Spell so that the daggers would crash into the invisible barrier and not him. The daggers crashed into the barrier, transforming into tiny droplets of cooling water; they were enchanted so that they would transform into water upon hitting anything. 

I beamed. "That was an excellent Shielding Charm, Mad!"

"You did well too, Jani," Mahado replied humbly. He glanced over to where Nebatet sat; she kindly agreed to be our "chaperone" while we practiced our magic. "Did you see that, Mother?" he asked happily.

Nebatet did not answer. In fact, it seemed that she hadn't heard Mahado at all. Mahado and I glanced at each other, and then I said tentatively, "Nebatet? Did you not see us? How did we do?"

Again, Nebatet did not answer. Bewildered, Mahado and I approached her side. I noticed that she was gazing fondly down at a silver ring on her left forefinger, lost in the thoughts and memories of a time that had long since faded away.

We stared at her in silence, and then Mahado asked, "What are you looking at, Mother? Who gave you that ring?"

Broken out of her reverie, Nebatet started. Then, realizing that her son had just spoken to her, she responded, "What, this? Oh, this is a ring that I have had for a long time…since I was around your age...It reminds me of your mother, Jasana."

My curiosity soared. "How so?"

"She had one just like this one, and she wore it on her right hand. Together, she and I created these rings as a reminder of the friendship between us," Nebatet said in a gentle, reminiscent voice. She paused, and then she continued, "These rings that we created were charmed with magical spells that we invented ourselves. It magically reinforced the bond between us." As she spoke, writing appeared on the ring. It was my mother's name that was engraved on the ring. But it was not engraved in the hieratic text that we use everyday; it was in sacred script, the script of the gods and of the sorcerers. (1)

Mahado and I were even more curious. If there was a way to magically reinforce our bond, a way to make it stronger against Meta's attempt to corrode it to nothing, then we wanted to know. "How did you do it?" we asked in unison.

Nebatet smiled, somehow knowing exactly why we wanted to know. "Shall I teach you how to create such rings?"

"Yes, please!" I cried. Mahado only happily nodded.

Nebatet smiled. "Very well, your mother would have wanted you to know this spell anyway, Jasana." For a moment, her eyes, always filled with wisdom, became veiled with the shadow of a lost memory; I always thought that it was a memory of my mother that came back to her that day. Then she continued sadly, "Seeing that she cannot teach you now, I shall teach you for her. Listen carefully, Mahado and Jasana, for this is a strong enchantment, and one that is not to be made lightly. You will need to spend months of studying in order to prepare for it, as Hathoraset and I did." Mahado and I looked at each other in surprise; we did not anticipate that it would take that much preparation. Seeing this apprehension between us, Nebatet managed to smile and said, "But fear not, for I shall tell you everything…"

* * *

I sat on the bench on the balcony of my bedchamber, waiting for the whole Palace to fall asleep. Isis sat waiting with me. Besides Nebatet, she was the only one who knew that Mahado and I were intending to create the rings. However, I was pretty sure that Mahado would tell Karim. 

Together we sat and gazed at the beautiful sight that lay before us. Khonsu's silver rays had transformed the Nile into a ribbon of silver, winding in between mounds of silvery sand.

My heart fluttered with excitement, but my stomach churned with anxiety. For that night was the night that Mahado and I would create our rings; it was the night that we would seal our friendship through the magic that Aset had taught to Man.

It was now ten or twelve (I can no longer remember now) days since I had turned fourteen years old. Mahado had turned fourteen years old seven days before I did.

Shortly after Nebatet had begun to teach Mahado and me how to create the rings, I discovered what Meta had arranged for my future. For the time being, I would learn the arts of healing. She did not think that it was necessary for me to learn any more magic; in her eyes I had already had enough magical knowledge as was appropriate for a lady, and a Princess at that. In fact, I already had too **much** knowledge in her eyes.

I was **FURIOUS**. I was furious at Father, at the Seven Hathors (2) who let this happen to me, and most of all, I was furious at Meta. I was even furious at my own uncle, who had always been so kind to me…

* * *

"Uncle! Why can you not interfere? Father is your brother! Can you not go to him and remind of the promise that he made Mother? Can you not remind him whose daughter I am?" I demanded. 

I paced and shouted for a while, and suddenly all the fight went out of me. A wave of sadness came; I broke down in tears and rushed into Uncle Akhnadin's open arms. He soothingly stroked my hair, just as Mother used to do, and said, "You'll still have a chance to practice your magic, Jasana; there are always hundreds of scrolls of magical texts in the royal library that you can study so that you can advance yourself. You will still practice your battle skills with me as well. Your brother will need to learn by watching someone demonstrate for him, and as far as I know, there is nobody better for that role than you. You will still learn all the things that you are learning now; it's only that you will be adding knowledge of healing to that."

"So I will still be considered a sorceress?" I asked. "I won't be just some useless healer confined to the Palace?"

"No. Now, don't you feel slightly better?" Uncle asked.

Forcing myself to wipe my tears away, I said, "Yes, Uncle, I do." I was lying. His words did not make me feel better. If my head was not filled with anger, fear, and apprehension, I would have found some comfort in his words. But I was only fourteen years old, and I still had a lot to learn.

Mahado was the only one who was capable of bringing down my temper. "You are a quick learner, Jani. I can teach you the new magic that I learn, and you will manage to keep up. Besides, healing involves magic too, and it is a skill that so many people wish they could learn, but they do not possess the magical capability to become one, or if they do, they are hindered by the circumstances of their lives. It might be useful to you someday, just wait and see…"

* * *

"Jasana," Isis's voice brought me out of my reverie of memories and back to the present, "look at the hourglass; it is time for you to go." I glanced towards the hourglass, and then I grabbed my woolen cloak so that I wouldn't get cold.

As I headed towards the door of my chamber, Isis said, "I will wait up for you, Jasana."

Putting up the hood of my cloak to conceal my face, I turned to her and said, "There is no need for that, Isis. You may sleep if you wish, since I do not know when I will be back. Ra might be starting his journey anew by the time I get back."

"But what if someone should come in to find you missing?"

I patted her hand. "You need not worry about that, Isis. I will make sure that does not happen."

I chanted a spell, sealing the doorway to my chamber. Nobody would be able to get in, or get out.

Ensured that nobody would intrude on my rooms, Isis breathed a sigh of relief. "Good luck, Jasana," she whispered. I gave her a reassuring nod, and then I disappeared into the hallway.

"_In the name of the Mistress of Magic, I decree this: Nobody shall follow in my footsteps, or shall they know my whereabouts. I shall not be seen, heard or detected in any way," _I murmured as I crept along. A glow of light surrounded me and disappeared, and I knew that my spell was in effect.

I reached the courtyard, where Mahado was waiting for me. He put up the hood of his cloak, chanted the same spell I did, and we were on our way. We crept to the shrine of Aset, where Nebatet had created the rings with my mother.

"Are you sure that we should go through with this, Jani?" Mad asked with a tiny edge of nervousness in his voice.

"Of course, Mad. Besides, is it not a good thing to have a reminder of our friendship?"

"You're absolutely, right." Mahado regained his confidence. "Let us begin."

We set a bowl of incense on fire as an offering to Aset, and then we chanted:

_O Aset, hear us, Magic's Mistress,_

_We call on thee to be our witness._

_The bond between us is threatened, _

_So we wish to have it strengthened…_

After hours of chanting, two silver rings emerged from the flames of the incense. "Jani" was engraved on one ring, and "Mad" was engraved on the other. I took the ring with "Mad" engraved on it and slipped it onto the forefinger of my right hand; Mahado took the other one and slid it on his left forefinger.

With a few murmured words, every sign of our presence was gone, and Mahado and I donned our cloaks and made our way back to our rooms.

As we neared the hallway to our chambers, I said, "Mad, I'm afraid."

"What is there to be afraid of?" he asked, looking at me curiously.

"Everything! Every-Everything's changing…even you…even me…Things just seem to be so uncertain, and I don't like it."

Mahado stopped walking, laid a hand on my shoulder, and turned me towards himself. His eyes met mine, and then he replied, "I can see why you feel that way, since you will start to learn the art of healing as of tomorrow. I feel that way sometimes too, especially now, since I too will start new tomorrow, as my uncle's apprentice. You need not worry though, Jani. Isis will be there, and she asked to learn healing just so that you wouldn't have to learn it alone. Though you won't see Karim as much anymore, you will still see him, and know that you can always trust him. Also, know that whenever you need me, just send me a message, and we will meet. These are the things that will not change, Jani, that **cannot** change."

I smiled, and then I sneaked towards my bedchamber. I lifted the seal that I had placed on the doorway, and entered. Isis was sitting on the edge of my bed, gazing anxiously at the hourglass.

Seeing me enter, she breathed a sigh of relief and let the anxiety slip away from her face. "So you are back. Were you successful?"

"Yes, we were. Look, Isis." I held my ring out for her to see. It shined softly in the candlelight.

"So now, your friendship is magically sealed," Isis stated, "Meta can't tear you apart now."

"I hope so, Isis." Now it was my turn to be anxious.

Isis yawned. "Well then, shall we get some sleep? You need the sleep, Princess Jasana, especially after taxing your heka like that."

I yawned right after she did. "Yes, let's get some sleep. We will need all the sleep we can get for tomorrow…" I gazed towards the balcony, my heart filling with dread.

Knowing exactly what I was thinking, Isis laid a hand on my shoulder. "We'll get through it, Jasana. For all you know, you might actually like it, and it might be useful to you one day," she said softly.

"That's exactly what Mahado said, Isis. I just hope that you are right." Then I realized that Isis would be there with me, and, my voice being much brighter, I murmured, "Well, if I have to endure Meta, then I'm glad that I get to endure her with you. Thank you, Isis."

Isis smiled, and when we had settled in, I on my elaborately carved wooden bed, and she on the soft pallet on the floor, she blew out the candle.

* * *

"Princess Sahm-Aset," Meta's cold voice was like a knife cutting through the air, "I do not ever recall you owning such a ring. Where did you get this silver ring that now encircles your right forefinger?" Her eyes, black with malice, swooped beadily onto my ring. She scrutinized it as a hawk would scrutinize its prey. For all of her snooping, it took her ten days to notice the ring on my finger. 

Fear filled my heart as I tried to find an excuse for having this ring. If Meta knew the truth behind the ring, she would have a fit, and it would be over for Mahado and me. I could feel my knees shaking beneath my long linen dress, but I forced myself to keep a face of stone.

Luckily for me, Nebatet stepped in, saying calmly, "I gave her that ring, Meta. It used to belong to her mother, Queen Hathoraset, and I saw it time that it was passed on to her daughter, as was her wish." I knew that Nebatet chose her words carefully, and at that moment, I admired her as I never did before. She stood in front of me, her feet seemed to be rooted to the ground, her shoulders and her entire frame firmly set with a silent determination. In her stance, she seemed to be shielding me from Meta's poisonous glare, and with her words, I knew that she meant to remind Meta that _she_, and not Meta, was the one that Mother had entrusted my well-being to.

That hated expression of icy authority slid from Meta's face, and she looked flustered. It was the first time that I had seen Meta look even slightly distraught. Her voice quivered slightly as she said, "I did not know of the late Queen's wishes. It was not brought to my attention."

"No, it probably was not, because her late Majesty would have been quite foolish to entrust her secret wishes to those who were not trustworthy." Nebatet wisely kept her voice even and as steady as was possible. I could not tell if she was just stating a fact, or if she had meant to drive an insult at Meta. Nevertheless, I silently cheered for her. She and Meta stared at each other for a moment, and then Nebatet changed the subject entirely. "Now, Princess _Jasana_," she put a great stress on my name, "I would like a word with you."

"Of course, Nebatet, "I said in a genuinely kind voice. "Leave us, Meta." I waved my hand to dismiss her, as if I was as much of a Queen as Aset herself. Meta scowled, but she had no choice except to retreat.

When she had gone, Nebatet turned to me and wrapped her arms around me. I was fully shaking now, mentally exhausted from the battle that I had been fighting for five years now. I was even too tired to hold anger in my heart or to cry more tears of frustration.

"I am so confused, Nebatet," I weakly said.

"I would be very surprised if you were not. Yes, it is a rather hard time for you, especially now. You are growing, and it is natural for you to be awkward and uncertain. Your body is changing too, and know that this is a time of growth. Be patient, for soon you will blossom and know who you truly are."

"Did you feel this way too? Did Mother feel this way when she was my age?"

"Yes, we all go through this stage, Jasana. It is a part of growing up. It is essential to growing up and becoming a woman, just as you are now, along with Isis. Karim and Mahado are growing too. Everybody has to grow up; it is a part of life. There will be challenges along the way, but they are necessary in order for you to become stronger." I looked up to see Nebatet's wise gray eyes regarding me with sympathy and understanding.

"I fear that I am not strong enough, Nebatet. I feel so exhausted, so weak…" I buried my face into Nebatet's robes.

Nebatet stroked my hair. "You are exceptionally strong for a girl of fourteen, my dear, because you have endured a sorrow that you should not have to until you were older." Nebatet's soft voice little by little washed away the pain in my heart, and it renewed my courage. "Never mind that now, Jasana. We will talk more of this tonight. It is time that you and I speak of certain things that you should know. In the meantime…" She bore a piece of pottery in her hand, and pressed it into my palm.

My heart leapt, and I instantly drew my ring off my finger and pressed it to the center of the pottery piece to retrieve Mahado's message. These rings that we created had many enchantments. Most important of these was that they were indestructible; they would not be destroyed by any other than us. The names engraved on the rings were visible only to us, unless we chose to make them visible to others. Apart from these and the other enchantments, we created them to be our seals, to be proof of our identity in our messages. This way, there would be no way of Meta writing a false message under my name or Mahado's. It would be much later when I would realize the true power that lay within the rings.

Mahado's message read, "_Jani, I know that we have not been able to communicate much of late. The Prince notices this, and he wants you to come as soon as possible to the courtyard, where we all shall practice battle arts with your uncle. I do hope that my mother will be able to give this to you in time. When you have finished reading this, please give it back to her, and come quickly. I hope to see you soon. Forever your loyal friend, Mad."_

I could feel myself blushing furiously. I had not seen Mahado since the night that we had created the rings.

Nebatet noticed this, and she smiled amusingly. "Are you all right, my dear? Your cheeks are bright red!"

The heat in my cheeks rose. "What? They are not!" I was afraid of confiding this strange, exhilarating feeling that was rushing through my limbs, my heart, and my very soul at this moment. Especially since that feeling involved her own son.

Nebatet took my hand and softly chuckled. "It appears to me that you are growing up not only physically, but emotionally as well, and I infer that this emotional growth you are going through is what is confusing you the most. Is that correct?"

Surprised that Nebatet seemed to understand what I was going through, I nodded.

"Well, it is completely natural; you are doing nothing out of the ordinary. But do not be afraid, Jani, and hold on to your friends." Her knowing glance passed to the silver ring. "Remember, my dear, that only you have the power to change who you are, and who your friends are. Nobody gets to determine that for you."

Knowing exactly what she was referring to, I gloomily asked, "But they can sure try, can they not?"

"Yes, they can try, but they will succeed only if you let them. Besides, you and Mahado have the rings now, and the spell shall protect your bond." Nebatet sighed, and then she smiled, her gray eyes smiling as well. "Run along now, we shall talk tonight. But Mahado is waiting for you, and it would not be wise to make him wait any longer."

My mood much brighter, I gave Nebatet one last hug before running out of the room. I ran as fast as I possibly could to Mahado. I reached the courtyard and paused to catch my breath. Mahado was waiting for me again, just as he always did, his back turned. Upon hearing my footsteps, he turned towards me, his face radiant with his smile. I smiled back and ran into his open arms.

* * *

**(1)- There was a hieratic script that was a shortened form of the full hieroglyphics. The full hieroglyphics were considered to be the sacred script. The hieratic script was easier to use to keep information. **

**(2)- The Seven Hathors is a form of the goddess Hathor associated with fortune telling. In an Egyptian myth, they were seven beautiful women who arrived at a person's birth and decreed his/her fate. **

**Thanks so much for reading! Chap. 8 will be up as soon as I can get away from my mountain of homework...In the meantime, please review!! Let me know if there are any grammar/spelling mistakes in here, thanks!! **


	8. Night of Memories Part I, The Banquet

**Disclaimer: You know the deal. See Chapter 1**

**So, after the longest time (what- about 4 months?) I'm back!! Things are finally letting up here. I have only one day of Finals left, and then it's two weeks of pure vacation!!! I should be able to get at least two chapters up in that time, hopefully, if I'm not too busy catching up with the other hobbies that I've neglected. For those who have stuck by me this far, I really want to thank you guys! Special thanks to journey maker, Dead Reckoning, and Empress of the Light for reviewing ever chapter. And also thanks to sherabo for adding my story to the C2 community. This chapter was going to be longer, but I have split it into two parts. This first part is a little fluffish I'm afraid, but I hope you enjoy it, nonetheless!

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"That was an excellent swordfighting demonstration, you two! I have never seen such skill coming from people of your age." Uncle Akhnadin smiled at Mahado and me, glowing with approval. Mahado and I were panting, exhausted from our mock swordfight, but we managed to smile at Uncle Akhnadin's praise. Atem, who had been watching us, happily clapped his hands and cheered.

Uncle Akhnadin turned to my little brother. "So, my Prince, now that you've seen the proper technique, you may try these moves for yourself."

Atem eagerly hopped to his feet. "May I fight with my sister?" I suppressed a laugh, knowing that Atem was sort of intimidated by my Uncle.

"It's better if you learn the techniques with me first, and once you learn the moves, then you may practice with your sister." Uncle Akhnadin's voice was gentle yet firm. "Jasana and Mahado, you may sit and take a rest if you wish."

Mahado and I sat down on a stone bench and watched as Atem awkwardly picked up a wooden sword and approached my uncle. As Uncle Akhnadin began to lecture him on developing a good stance, Mahado and I started to talk.

"So, how are you, Jani? How are your healing lessons?" There was a new shyness in his voice that startled me.

"Actually, they are not that bad. You're right, Mad, I kind of like healing. I get to use my powers for something meaningful, and healing involves a lot more magic than I thought it would."

"I'm glad to hear that you like it. I'm sure that as time goes by, you'll be the best healer in the kingdom," Mahado said with a fierce determination.

I blushed at his compliment, and after a brief pause of silence, I changed the subject. "So, has anybody noticed the ring yet?"

"No, but even if people have noticed it, they would not take note of someone like me. Has Meta noticed yours?"

"Yes, but she only noticed it just now. Thankfully, your mother said that she had given me the ring."

Mahado breathed a sigh of relief. "So our secret is safe, for the moment."

A sick feeling of fear came over me as I suddenly thought about what would happen if our secret became known. "What will we do if someone discovers the truth about the rings?" My voice was filled with nervousness and anxiety.

Mahado's clear deep blue eyes met mine, and then he said, "I do not know what will happen, but either way, the spell has already been cast, and it cannot be undone easily. It can only end if we both consent to end the friendship." After a pause, he continued, "Let's not worry about it at the moment, because our secret is safe. If others do find out, then we shall take care of that when it comes."

I only nodded. While we were talking, Uncle Akhnadin was showing Atem how to defend himself. "Keep your stance steady- your wrist should be stiff-good." I smiled as I watched Atem eagerly engaged in the mock swordfight.

Suddenly, Nebatet appeared. "Come, Jasana. It is time to get ready for the banquet tonight."

"I had forgotten," I said, completely startled.

"Well, come along then," Nebatet replied, beckoning with her hand. I rose and approached her side. She then said to Mahado, "Mahado, you should get ready as well. I want you to look your best; this banquet will be quite a grand affair."

"Yes, Mother." Mahado obediently nodded his head, and then he rose and turned to go in the opposite direction. I was surprised. His room and mine were in the same area of the palace. So why would he be going in the totally opposite direction? Then I remembered- He was his uncle's apprentice now. That meant that he had a new room, in a completely different area of the palace. Normally, whenever Father had required my attendance at a banquet, Mahado and I would walk to the hall together. I turned to walk with Nebatet, a little downcast.

"Of course, I should have known that since we're growing up, things cannot always stay the same," I thought to myself. "Sooner or later, we won't be able to walk together to the banquet hall."

Then Mahado called out, "Shall we meet here and go to the hall together, Jani, as we always do?"

I turned back around. "Yes, that would be wonderful! I'll meet you here with Isis."

Mahado beamed. "I'll tell Karim. It'll be the four of us again."

We then went our separate ways. I could feel myself smiling at the thought of meeting with Mahado before the banquet, and with Isis and Karim as well! The four of us had not had a chance to be together in quite a while.

It had been some time since Father held a formal banquet. All the nobles and people of the court would be at this banquet. On all the other nights, he would only dine with the Guardians, their families, Atem, and me. It was always a quiet occasion, and very casual. Nebatet was always there, being the sister of the High Priest of the Millennium Ring, and so Mahado was there too. He and I would eat with Isis and Karim, and together the four of us would talk and laugh. Sometimes, if Father had to meet with important officials, then it would just be Nebatet, Mahado, Atem, Isis, Karim, and me. However, Karim had been busy lately, and so he would show up to eat with us only rarely.

* * *

I changed into a dress of the finest and most expensive linen, which Meta had laid out for me. It was quite sheer, and I wasn't exactly comfortable with wearing a dress that revealed even a glimpse of my skin beneath. Meta then ordered Isis to paint my face with cosmetics. Her barking and ordering around irritated me, but I told myself that at least she was having Isis paint my face- she was not painting my face herself. 

"Isis, that is enough," I said, raising my hand. I wasn't really fond of wearing cosmetics.

"For shame, Isis! Put more ocher (1) on her cheeks! Her Highness is not going out looking like that!" Meta snapped. Isis looked sympathetically at me, and then she continued to apply the ocher.

Thankfully, Nebatet walked in at that moment. "That is enough cosmetics, I believe. We do not want Her Highness to look so red that it seems she is awfully sunburned!" Isis and I suppressed a laugh at Nebatet's sarcastic remark. "I'll take care of the Princess from here. You are dismissed, Lady Meta."

Meta scowled, but she had no choice but to retreat. After all, it was Nebatet who was in charge of me, and not her.

Isis held up a mirror for me, and once I looked at my reflection, it was all I could do to not shout out. My face was entirely covered in cosmetics. I didn't know how to feel as I stared at my own reflection, but I knew that I looked nothing like myself. I reached for the wiping cloth and started to furiously wipe my face.

Nebatet gently took the wiping cloth away from me. "Now, that's no way for you to be wiping away the cosmetics, my dear," she said as she started to gently wipe my face. "You'll just smear it and ruin your lovely face."

"It's already smeared all over my face!" I could not contain my fury. "Nebatet, I look like… I look like a stupid whore!"

"Well," Nebatet said brightly, wiping off the last layer of ocher, "we shall fix that then." Dipping the brush into the pot of kohl (2), she started to reapply it to my eyes. She dusted a bronze powder onto my eyelids, and applied only a tiny bit of ocher onto my cheeks. As she worked, she explained the various uses of each cosmetic to Isis and me. Isis sat quietly by my side, closely observing Nebatet as she carefully painted my face. Suddenly, I had a strange flashback…

_"Mother, what is that you're putting on your face?"_

"_Its red ocher, Jasana."_

"_Why do you use it? Are you not already beautiful without it?"_

_Mother laughs. "We women use cosmetics to enhance our beauty, to make ourselves even more beautiful._

"_Can I use some?"_

_A vague face smiles down at me, all that I can see clearly are her bright amber eyes. "You are a little too young to wear cosmetics just yet, my little jewel, perhaps when you are older."_

"_Will I be beautiful when I grow up, Mother?"_

_Mother chuckles, and I feel her arms enfold me. "You already are beautiful, my little one. And when you grow up, you shall be the most beautiful woman in Egypt…"_

"Are you all right, my dear? What are you thinking about?" Nebatet looked at me worriedly. I jumped slightly. Mother's face disappeared before me, and Nebatet's face replaced it.

"I just had a…a…vision of sorts. It was more like a memory, a memory of Mother. I was asking her if I could use some cosmetics, and she said that I was too young."

"Yes, I remember that!" Nebatet laughed heartily. "Your mother told me about that night. You were so young then! But now look at how much you've grown." Being done with the cosmetics, Nebatet held up the mirror for me. I smiled at my reflection, happier with the way I looked. I looked more natural, more like myself.

Nebatet painted Isis's face, and then Isis left to go and see her aunt, who had summoned her. When she had gone, Nebatet took out a small wooden casket and gave it to me. "I have a little present for you, Jasana."

I opened the casket, and I gasped with delight. Inside was a beautiful golden collar, inlaid with turquoise and lapis lazuli. In the middle there was a design of an ankh (3) made of aquamarine. As I held it in my fingers and inspected every fine detail, Nebatet added gently, "It used to belong to your mother."

"Should it not have been buried with her then?" I asked. (4)

"Yes, but there were a few things, quite a few things, that she wished to leave to you. Your father objected first, but then he eventually obliged to her wishes. You were Hathoraset's pride and joy. She and I would often talk about what kind of woman you would grow up to be, who would be the fortunate enough to win your affection and become your husband, and so on so forth."

I bowed my head so that Nebatet couldn't see the tears forming in my eyes as I heard her talk about my mother. "I miss her," I whispered.

Nebatet gently lifted my chin up and wiped away a tear. "So do I, my dear, so do I. But come, don't cry; you'll spoil your lovely looks. Remember, though she is gone, she still lives on through you. There is so much of your mother in you. Think of her with fondness, for she is here in ways that you have not thought of."

Nebatet's words cheered me greatly. I wiped away another tear, and then she said, "Well, it's time for you to go! Let's get that on, and we'll be on our way. But come to my room after the banquet, there is something that I want to show you." She clasped Mother's necklace around my neck, and together we left and went to the courtyard, where Mahado, Isis, and Karim were waiting for me.

Once I saw Mahado, I pushed away all sad thoughts of Mother. I ran to meet my friends, and I could feel my heart pulsing with pure happiness.

"Jani! You look…" Mahado faltered, and this puzzled me a little, but I didn't think of it too much.

"I look like what, Mad?"

"You look beautiful tonight."

No words could describe the sensation I felt at that moment. My heart fluttered, and I could feel the heat rise to my face as I shyly murmured, "Thank you." Trying to distract myself, I turned to Karim. I had not seen him since before Mahado and I had made the rings ten days ago. "Karim! It's certainly good to see you again!"

"It's a great honor to be in your presence again, Princess Jasana," Karim formally replied.

Isis and I glanced at each other, confused. Karim appeared to be so stiff and formal; before he would never use such a phrase as "It is a great honor…"

"Come Karim, there's no need to be so formal! Or are you practicing for the day that you become High Priest? In that case- I am blessed with your service, High-Priest-to-be Karim," I said sarcastically, sweeping a mock bow.

Isis started to laugh, Mahado followed suit, and finally Karim relaxed and laughed as well.

"That's the Karim I remember!" Karim managed to smile.

"So, Mahado tells me that your healing lessons are going well. I think being a healer becomes you, Jasana."

Isis stepped to my side. "Jasana has quite the talent for healing. She's making really exceptional progress for someone who only started learning nine days ago."

"You're doing well too, Isis!" I interjected. "I would not have been in this if it hadn't been for you." Isis smiled.

At that moment, my uncle appeared and interrupted, "Come everyone, it is time for the banquet to begin." Without worrying about rank and position, the four of us walked together to the banquet hall. But as we neared the hall, Isis and Karim fell behind me in step, and Mahado pulled back ever so slightly.

"_Now remember, Jasana. Walk in with your head high, and your back straight, just as we practiced. It's time for you to shine like the jewel you are, my daughter," Mother's warm voice said. _

"_What if I stumble and fall?"_

"_You won't, for you have practiced perfectly so many times, there's no need for you to worry. Just pretend that we are walking to the stables, that it's just the two of us. I'll hold your hand as you walk in. It will be all right, my little one…"_

I stopped in shock, my head reeling with the flashback I just had. It was the strangest thing I ever encountered. I did not exactly see Mother's face, or did I? "What's going on?" I wondered to myself.

"Jani, are you all right?" Mahado asked, gripping my arm. My uncle had stopped, and he was looking at me curiously. I composed myself and shook my head.

"Yes, I was just a little dizzy for some reason, that's all. I'll be fine, Mad." I insisted. He said nothing more, and we continued on our way. We approached the door, where Atem stood waiting with Nebatet. He beamed when he saw us, and he waved. I smiled and raised my hand in return as Mahado, Isis, and Karim bowed respectfully.

"Jani, we must go and take our places now," Mahado said into my ear, laying his hand lightly on my shoulder. I wordlessly nodded, and he, Isis, Karim, Nebatet, and Uncle Akhnadin entered the hall.

Tugging at my arm, Atem asked enthusiastically, "Sister! Are you ready for the banquet?"

"Yes, I am. Now let's go!" Atem's excitement now spread to me, and I found myself looking forward to it almost as much as he was.

"We have to wait for Father first," Atem said. "Here he comes now."

At that moment, my father swept in, with all the dignity of a Pharaoh and Living Horus. He smiled and affectionately ruffled Atem's hair, and then he turned to me. I could feel my body stiffen with apprehension; I did not know how he would acknowledge me, since I saw little of him, and he was hardly affectionate with me since Mother died. He kindly put his hand on my shoulder and said, "You are as beautiful as your mother was, Jasana." I glowed with pride upon hearing his words. His eyes rested on my necklace, and he exclaimed, "I see that you're wearing her necklace!" He fondly held the collar in his hand, tracing his thumb over the aquamarine ankh. "I can remember the day I gave this to her. This was her favorite necklace, and she would always wear it, except for some festivals and banquets, when I finally convinced her to wear something else." I stood breathless, not knowing what to say. For the first time in a long time, I had the chance to get a closer look at my father. As he said those words, his eyes softened, and a special smile graced his lips as he spoke of my mother. I thought that I could see his eyes filling with tears, but before I could be sure, he abruptly dropped the collar, turned around, and decreed, "Let the banquet begin!"

Atem and I fell behind Father; Atem stood on his left, and I stood on his right. The guards opened the doors, and we processed in before the entire court. I saw my friends standing off to the side, smiling at me. As much as I wanted to smile back and wave at them, I did not. If I had done so, there would be no telling to how much Meta would lecture me in the days to come. The court waited until we had processed to the foremost table in the hall and seated ourselves before following suit.

My father raised his hands in a gesture that indicated the feast had begun. The hall, which was heavy with somber silence and ceremony when we processed in, seemed to burst back into life and noise again. There were all sorts of sumptuous dishes here, including all of my favorites: lamb, quail, and the freshly baked bread from the royal bakery. The Guardians ate and talked quietly among themselves, but even they seemed to be having a good time. Mahado, Isis, Karim and I were seated in the same vicinity, and so we also talked and laughed as well, with Atem joining us, and Shadah. I was not as familiar with Shadah as I was with Mahado, Isis, and Karim, but we still found occasions to talk, and this was one of them.

But then, I happened to glance away from the comfort of my friends to the other tables where the other nobles and courtiers sat. Although I could not physically see anything suspicious, I suddenly felt a chill sweep through me. I had the feeling that I was being watched by someone, or by several people. Meta was among them. And throughout the crowd, there were men staring at me. Simply staring. I could not put my finger on it, but the gazes that they fixed on me were disturbing. In retrospect, I can now say that they looked at me as they would look at a treasure, a very precious treasure, one that they would claim for themselves, no one else, and they would challenge anyone who dared to oppose them. It would not be until later that I would fully understand why they were looking at me thusly, and why.

"Is there something wrong, Jasana?" Isis asked worriedly. "You look disturbed. Is there something bothering you?"

Forcing the thoughts of the strange gazes of the men away from me, I smiled and said, "There's nothing wrong, Isis. It's just that there's so many people that work here and live here, and I've hardly known that they existed!"

"There are more people in the world out there that exist, and neither you nor I know of them," Isis replied. We laughed and went on to talk of something else. But I caught a glimpse of Mahado, whose eyes were scanning the crowd before us, and then his eyes met mine. I thought that he was looking at me because I was lying about nothing being the matter, and he could tell. But there was something else in his eyes, something that I could not describe. But he glanced again at the crowd, and then at me, as if he was trying to calculate the seriousness of some danger that was awaiting all of us, with me at the center of it all.

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**1- Ocher was a red substance that the Egyptian women used as rouge, and to paint their lips as well.**

**2- Kohl was used as black eyeliner in Ancient Egyptian society.**

**3- The ankh was the symbol of life in Ancient Egypt. It is not to be confused with the akh (see Chapter 6), which was the spirit form of the deceased. **

**4- When the mummies were buried, their possessions were buried with them because it was believed that they would need them in the Afterlife.**

**Thanks for reading! Please review too, and let me know if there's anything I can do to improve the story (grammar, etc...): )**


	9. Night of Memories Part II, Revelations

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Yugioh.**

**Note: The part where Jasana visits her mother's room with Nebatet was inspired partly by a similar scene in the book Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.

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I was glad when the banquet was over. The tables were cleared, the court took their leave of the Pharaoh, and finally I relaxed. Since I noticed the men staring at me, I had felt vulnerable and uncomfortable for the rest of the banquet.

Nebatet, Mahado, Isis, and I were leaving the hall with Atem when my brother suddenly asked of me, "Sister, do you remember what Mother was like?"

I stopped in my tracks. "Why do you ask this of me?" I said shakily.

"Because I don't remember Mother at all. I've always wanted to know of her, but nobody I ask can tell me."

"Did you go and ask Father?"

Atem scuffed the floor with his toe. He gazed at the ground as he reluctantly said, "Well, um- no. But that's only because I don't know what he'll say. When I asked around, Uncle Akhnadin said that I shouldn't ask Father about Mother."

My eyebrows shot up at this. Nebatet calmly took Atem by the hand and said, "Now is not the time for your sister to tell you, my Prince. She will tell you all about Mother another night- with my assistance, of course," she added after seeing the uncertain look on my face. "She was only about your age when your mother died, and so she might not remember that much of her. But if you be good and wait patiently, your questions will be answered."

"When will you tell me?" Atem asked impatiently.

Nebatet, seeing that this was something Atem really wanted to know about, sighed. "Tomorrow night. Now it is time that you lay yourself down to sleep, Prince."

Atem replied, "All right. As long as you keep your promise, Lady Nebatet."

"I will. You need not worry. Jasana, why don't you escort your brother to his room? I shall meet you in your room upon your return, rather than having you come to my room."

I nodded. Mahado said, "I bid you good night then, Jani, and good night, my Prince."

"Sleep well, Mad," I replied.

"See you tomorrow, Mahado! Remember that you promised me a ride on your horse!" Atem called as I led him away by the hand.

"Sister, why does Mahado call you 'Jani', and you call him 'Mad'?" Atem asked, bright with curiosity.

"They are the names that we gave each other a long time ago, when we were four years old."

"Jani," Atem murmured pensively. "That's a good name for you. I think from now on, I'll call you 'Jani' as well!"

I laughed at his determination as he said that. Atem always had a way of making me laugh.

"Mahado won't mind, will he?" Atem's adorable amethyst eyes filled with worry for a second.

I smiled. "I am sure that he will not, Atem. Go now. You must be well rested if you are going to ride tomorrow."

"Good night then, Jani." Atem hugged me.

"Good night, Little Brother. May the gods grant you a restful sleep."

* * *

I walked away from my brother's suite deep in thought. He had asked me about what Mother was like; I found that to be strange. I had never heard him ask about Mother before until that night. And when the moment came, when I tried to remember for him the details of Mother's face, I found that I could not. I remember precisely that Mother had beautiful amber eyes, but the other details were lost to me. This filled me with terror, and I paused to dedicate all of my effort into remembering Mother's face. Completely forgetting that I was supposed to meet Nebatet, I leaned against a pillar and shut my eyes, trying to remember the color of Mother's hair, how tall she was, what did she usually wear… 

_A door opens before me, and Mother is lying in her bed. Upon seeing me, she sits up. "Jasana! Is there something wrong? What troubles you, my dear? You should be sleeping!"_

_"I can't sleep."_

_"Did you have another bad dream?"_

_"No, I'm just not tired."_

_Mother raises her hand and beckons. "Well, you must sleep, Jasana. You will need all of your energy for your lessons tomorrow. Come, you may sleep with me tonight. You know, if you want, we may go on a ride tomorrow after your lessons. But only if you sleep and rest well tonight…_

"Jasana! Jasana!" Akhnadin's voice shocked me out of my reverie and brought me back to reality. His hand was on my shoulder and he was shaking me. "Are you ill? You look really pale!"

"I'm fine, Uncle Akhnadin. I was just thinking…"

"Of your mother?" Akhnadin seemed to have read my mind. As he looked at me, the Millennium Eye was gleaming in the torchlight. Not trusting myself to speak, I nodded.

Akhnadin's face softened. "I understand, my little Princess- well, my not-so-little Princess! You're growing quickly." He briefly glanced at Mother's necklace before saying, "Nebatet is waiting for you. It would not do to keep her waiting any longer." Without another word, we started to walk towards my chambers.

"Uncle, Atem has just told me that you said he shouldn't ask Father about Mother. Why is this so?"

Akhnadin seemed to be surprised by this question. He slowly replied, "I do not know the reason for sure, Jasana. I only know that it is best not to bother your father with questions of the late Queen. He misses her terribly, and still has not gotten over her death. He was devastated when your mother died. He confined himself to his rooms and would not be seen in public for a month."

"I didn't know that," I murmured, completely taken aback.

"At that time, whenever I did see him, he looked like he had some heavy burden on his mind, but he would not tell anyone what was troubling him. He would not even consult the priests who wanted to help him recover from his grief."

"Well, I still miss Mother too, and it has been-how long- seven years?" Suddenly I stopped walking and turned sideways to face Akhnadin. "If Father cannot tell Atem about Mother, why don't you tell him? You were friends with Mother! You can tell him all about Mother, can you not? He does have a right to know who Mother was."

Akhnadin chuckled at this, much to my surprise. "Well, though I was familiar with Queen Hathoraset, I always thought that it was Lady Nebatet who knew her best." We reached the hallway leading to my suite of rooms. Completely dropping the subject, Akhnadin said warmly, "Well, here we are! I will see you tomorrow then, Jasana. Sleep well!" He hugged me and then walked away. I turned and made my way straight to my bedroom. I heard Nebatet and Isis talking in low voices as I entered.

Upon seeing me, Nebatet smiled and rose from the seat. "I will give you time to change out of those clothes before we talk." She walked out of my bedroom to wait in another room.

Isis and I changed into more comfortable sleeping shifts. I took off Mother's necklace and returned it to its casket. As she combed my hair, Isis remarked, "If I may say so, Jasana, I think Mahado was quite taken with you tonight!"

I laughed nervously as I felt my heart jump. "What nonsense."

"It's true! Did you not see the way he looked at you when he said that you were beautiful?"

"What about the way he looked at me? There was nothing out of the ordinary in the way he looked at me, Isis. He looked at me as he has always looked at me!" I tried in vain to keep my voice calm. Now I felt the heat rising to my face. My mind was racing. I wondered: _Could what Isis is saying be true?_

"And what do you think of him?" Isis asked slyly. She looked knowingly at my face.

I did my best to compose myself. "Of course I am fond of him, Isis. We are good friends. He is my best friend, besides you. We've known each other since we were quite young." I was telling myself as much as I was telling her. "It is natural that we should think highly of each other, as a brother and sister would. What else would we think of each other?"

"Oh, I think you know, Jasana." Isis was not joking now. She looked at me seriously, as if she really wanted to know what I was thinking. "Tell the truth. Your heart races when he comes near, doesn't it? Sometimes you catch yourself thinking of him when you don't mean to, do you not? And you are confused and have no idea of why you feel this way, but you do?"

I gasped. "How do you-"

"Know?" Isis gently took me by the shoulders. "I know because it is obvious, the way you reacted when he told you that you looked beautiful. It was written all over your face." She spoke as if she had the experience of a mother who was advising her growing daughter.

"What about you, Isis? Have you felt this way before?"

"Yes, I have," Isis answered truthfully.

"Who is it that you have your eye on?" Now it was my turn to tease her.

Isis blushed slightly. "Nobody. I said that I have felt as you do in the past, but not now."

"You're lying!"

"It won't do to keep Nebatet waiting. You should go to her now." I gazed suspiciously at her. I knew that she was lying, but she would not tell me who had captured her attention.

I sighed. This was definitely not the time to wheedle it out of Isis. "Fine," I said, walking out, "but you'll tell me later, Isis, or I will either force it out of you, or find out myself."

Isis laughed. "I would like to see you try." Before I could protest, she pushed me out of the room and closed the door.

Nebatet smiled at me. "Well then, Jasana. Shall we begin?"

* * *

I walked nervously at Nebatet's side, wondering about what she wanted to show me. We paused in front of the entry to her chamber. Nebatet turned to face me. "Be warned, Jasana. What you are about to see may be…shocking, in a way. It might be painful at first, but now that you are getting older, you should see this. Are you ready?" 

My mind was throbbing with anxious curiosity. Part of me wanted to know what Nebatet meant through her words, and part of me was scared because she had said that it would cause me pain. "I…I think so." I said uncertainly.

"Let's go this way then." Nebatet walked past her room and turned a corner. I felt my heart lurch as I turned the corner. It seemed to be eerily familiar, but I didn't know why. I remembered that it was a place where I had felt sadness and dread. I walked warily down the hallway. Nebatet pulled a torch out of its holder and carried it, as there were no lit torches in this corridor.

"Nebatet, why is this corridor dark?"

"Nobody walks this way anymore, Jasana, though once they did." The last phrase sent a chill down my spine. I saw that where the floor met the wall, there was a thick layer of dust. I gripped Nebatet's hand as we walked further into the darkness.

"There's nothing to be afraid of, Jasana." Nebatet's voice was gentle yet strong. "We are here." She had stopped at the end of the corridor. In front of her there was nothing but the brick wall.

"Where are we?" I asked.

Without answering, Nebatet placed her right hand on the wall in front of her. As she murmured a spell, the wall in front of her became a door, and it opened before us. Nebatet stepped inside, and I followed. My eyes took in everything before me, and I gasped as I realized where we were.

We were in Mother's bedroom. She had stayed here when she was alive. But instead of being covered with dust, there was not a blemish on the bed. The cedar wood shone softly in the torchlight, as if it had just been polished. The cushioned pillows were arranged neatly at the head of the bed, but the blanket was tucked in rather untidily, as if Mother had just made her bed in a hurry. To the right of the bed, there was a dresser table accompanied with a mirror. Mother had sat there as her attendants applied her cosmetics, or sometimes she would apply the cosmetics herself. All sorts of little memories came flooding back to me as I gazed around the room. My knees started to give way, and I put my hand on the wall to steady myself.

Nebatet took me by the arm. "You may have a closer look, if you like." Gently she led me closer to the table, and I saw that there were various cosmetic pots with brushes resting on the table, as if they were waiting for Mother to use them. Next to the pots, I saw a piece of silver as big as my two hands put together resting against the wall. I picked it up. It was an image frozen in time. Mother looked at me, her amber eyes smiling, and in front of her was a young girl with light turquoise eyes…

"That's me!" I gasped, my voice barely above a whisper. My hands were shaking as they held the piece of silver. There was Mother's face, as clear as if she was standing right before me. I remembered dreaming of when she had created this.

Nebatet's hands covered mine, and she closed my fingers over the piece of silver. "You may keep it; it is yours. Hathoraset wanted you to have it when you were old enough."

I weakly replied, "How-How is this possible, Nebatet? How is it that this room isn't coated with dust, and it's as if Mother will come back any second?"

Nebatet gently wrapped her arms around me. "That is a mystery, Jasana. I do not know how it can be, but here it is."

"Does anyone else know about this room?"

"Nobody except for your father, not even Meta knows. Your father ordered this room to be magically sealed, so that nobody can trespass upon this. I was the one who sealed it."

I sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for the tears and pain to come. But they did not. I felt strangely at peace there, in the room. Seeing the room just as it was seemed to have brought me closure. The cosmetic pots and brushes that seemed to be waiting to be picked up by Mother's loving hand, the bed that was made up for Mother to rest on- the whole room seemed to bear proof that Mother had really existed. Until that night, all I had left of Mother were memories that were quickly fading.

Nebatet spoke. "I brought you in here, my dear, so that you can see that your mother is still very much alive. She is dead, yes, but her spirit lives on."

"I can feel her," I whispered. After a pause of silence, I said, "Thank you for bringing me here, Nebatet. I thought that I had forgotten about Mother, because I could not remember her face. But now I remember, and I will not forget."

Nebatet smiled and handed me a chest. "These scrolls contain all the spells that she had discovered. She was known for inventing her own spells, and she dreamed of teaching them to you." I opened the chest, and found another frozen image of Mother on a piece of silver. Intending to give it to Atem, I shut the chest and handed it back to Nebatet. After I gazed at the room for a little while longer, Nebatet yawned and said, "Well, I think it is time to go and get some sleep! Just so you know, you will be able to come back in here without my assistance. I have enchanted the room so that besides me, only you will be able to enter it. So feel free to come here whenever you feel that your memories of your mother need to be refreshed. But it would be wise to come here without anyone following you."

I nodded, at a complete loss for words. To be able to see Mother's room and have something that once belonged to her meant more than words could ever say. I gave Nebatet a grateful hug, and together we left the room, sealing it behind us.

As we walked along, I remembered what had happened at the banquet. The gazes of the men were confusing, and if anyone would tell me what was going on, it would be Nebatet. "Nebatet," I began shyly, "at the banquet, I noticed men staring at me, and it…it made me really uncomfortable."

Nebatet looked at me, and then she walked on deep in thought. Finally, she replied, "It might have been nothing, Jasana. Perhaps you were only feeling self-conscious because you have not been in front of so many people in a long time. Do not worry about it and rest well tonight." Thinking that Nebatet was right, I hugged her and then entered my bedroom. Isis was already asleep. Setting the chest and the frozen image of Mother and me on a table, I climbed into bed and fell asleep, a deep sense of peace settling over me.

* * *

The next night, I went to Atem's rooms alone. I had told Nebatet that I would not need her help in remembering Mother; I remembered her clearly now. As I stood in the receiving room, the usher went into Atem's bedroom and murmured, "My Prince, Her Highness, the Princess Sahm-Aset, is here to see you." I gritted my teeth at the sound of that name. 

The usher reappeared and bowed before me as I swept past him. Atem was sitting up in his bed. As I entered, he said happily, "Jani! Are you here to tell me about Mother?"

"Yes, I am." I returned his smile and sat on the bed. I took out the second frozen image of Mother that I had found in the chest of scrolls and gave it to him. "This is what Mother looked like."

Atem studied the picture of Mother with wonder before asking, "How did she manage to create this?"

"She used a spell, one that she probably invented herself."

"She invented her own spells? That is awesome! Why do I not know of this?"

"I did not know either, Atem. Nebatet told me only recently."

"If it's not too much to ask, how did Mother die?" Seeing sadness fill my face, Atem continued hastily, "If it's too painful, you don't need to tell me, Sister. I can ask Nebatet if you want me to."

"No, I think you should hear it from me. But I think I should tell you some other time, perhaps not tonight." I did not think that Atem should know that Mother died giving birth to him, not just yet. It might make him feel guilty in a sort of way, and I did not want Atem to feel any guilt or pain, not just yet. To me, he was still so young and pure, as all children are. I did not want him to feel as I had to feel when I was his age.

"Please, Sister, please tell me! I've always known that Mother is dead, but I never knew how she died, and nobody has seen it fit to tell me! I really want to know!" Atem pleaded.

There was no way I could say "no" after seeing the begging in Atem's eyes. "You might not be prepared to hear this, Atem."

"Go on. I've been ready to hear it for years."

"All right then." I took a deep breath and said slowly, "Mother died hours after you were born, Atem. She died in childbirth."

Atem nodded solemnly. It was quite common to hear of women dying in childbirth. When I was younger, I remembered that I had heard Mother talk of women dying, but as a child, I could not fully grasp what it meant for one to die. I did not grasp the meaning of death until someone close to me had died.

"Do you miss her, Jani?" Atem whispered.

"Yes." I let one tear roll down my face.

Atem hugged me, and I hugged him back. "But she has now passed into the Afterlife. She's happy there, at least. And I learned that once people die, they can come back as spirits!" I smiled and reminded myself not to laugh as Atem was attempting to comfort me, when I thought that I had to be the one to comfort him.

"I'm glad to see that you're paying attention in your religious lessons," I said. Atem laughed.

"Do you think that Mother's here, watching over us, Jani?"

"I know she is." After a pause, I changed the subject. "Do you know that Osiris was the first person whose body was preserved? He was the first to ever go into the Afterlife."

"Osiris, the Lord of the Dead?" Atem asked curiously.

"Yes."

"But he's a god. How could he have died?"

"He was human once, just like you and me."

"How did he die?"

"Did Nebatet not tell you the story already?"

"But that was a long time ago! Back when I was five years old! I don't remember it now. Tell it again!" Atem eagerly gathered the blanket about him, laid his head on the pillow, and waited. I closed my eyes, trying to remember how Mother always started it. I pictured her face before me, and as I pictured her saying the first words, I said them as well. "Long ago, almost at the beginning of time, Nut gave birth to four children…"

**

* * *

Thanks for reading! Please review and tell me what you think! I didn't mean to have three chapters on just one night, but oh well... I hope you liked this chapter! Have a Happy New Year everyone! Chapter 10 should also be up before school starts again on Jan. 7...**


	10. Confrontations

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh

* * *

**

As the months progressed, we all seemed to settle into routines. Isis and I learned healing, while Mahado continued to learn the ways of sorcery, which he then passed on to me. Karim was often busy learning the duties of a High Priest, but I still saw him on a regular basis. As busy as we were, Isis, Mahado, Karim and I always managed to find time to spend together in one way or another. I was usually alone with Mahado only when we crept to a remote corner of the palace to practice magic, taking sure that Meta would not notice that I was gone. As long as Meta did not notice that we were alone together, then Father did not know of it as well.

Mahado and I also went to the royal library together sometimes, and there we would read scroll upon scroll of spells to advance our magic. We were on our way to the library one day when suddenly we heard someone around the corner say, "Akhnadin, I think it's time to go to King Akhenamkhanen and discuss Jasana's situation." Mahado and I stopped walking and pressed ourselves against the wall.

"Yes, I agree, Nebatet. Come, I think he's idle now." Frantically I pulled Mahado behind a pillar as Nebatet and Akhnadin rounded the corner.

When they were out of earshot, I whispered, "They're headed to the throne room!"

Forgetting all about the library, I started to follow Nebatet and Akhnadin, but Mahado pulled me back. "Jani, wait! I don't think we should follow them. It's eavesdropping!"

"Mad, they're going to discuss me with Father! You don't think I'm going to let this opportunity pass, do you?" I whispered indignantly.

Mahado tightened his grip on my arm. "What if we get caught? We're going to be punished!" I blinked and looked at him. I knew that he was right. If we did get caught, I knew Meta would see to it that Mahado would be severely punished, while I would probably just get a stern lecturing. But I would not back down.

"Come on, we're wasting time! And we did not learn magic for nothing. You can stay here, but I'm going." I pulled my arm out of his grip and started to run. Mahado ran faster than I did and pulled me down another corridor. "Mad, let me go!"

"Shhhh! Where you're going is the entrance to the throne room, and you're not going to hear anything through the door. Follow me!" I grinned and followed him up a staircase and into a gallery. Mahado chanted quickly, _"In the name of the Mistress of Magic, I conceal us from plain sight."_ We slipped past the guards and found a good spot on the gallery where we could see Father, Akhnadin, and Nebatet.

We crouched down below the railing, and I hugged Mahado. "Thanks a lot, Mad! This means a lot to me! But how do you know about up here?"

"The Prince led me here when your father summoned you. This is where we sat to overhear him when your father forbade us from being together alone. Shhhh!- They're talking!" Mahado and I stood on our knees and peeped over the stone railing to look down at Nebatet, my uncle, and my father. Father began the conversation.

"What is it that you two have come to discuss?" Father asked haughtily.

My uncle spoke. "Brother, we have come to talk of Jasana."

"I thought that I had renamed her Sahm-Aset." Father's voice was rather cold. This left me greatly surprised. At the banquet three months ago, he addressed me by "Jasana"!

"With all due respect, my Pharaoh, I prefer to call the Princess by her birth name, the name that Queen Hathoraset gave her." I felt Mahado jump slightly at his mother's boldness in speaking to Father thusly.

Father shrugged his shoulders. "Speak then, Lady Nebatet. What should I know of my daughter?"

"As you know, Pharaoh Akhenamkhanen, Jasana is already of an age where she is able to marry. (1)" I clapped my hand to my mouth so that I would not cry out in surprise. "This is a critical age for her, as she is growing up into an adult. As any girl of her age would, she gets lost and confused at times. Since her mother is dead, it is even more difficult for her. I have been the one guiding her through this troublesome time, but I request that you guide her as well."

"How do you suggest I do that?" Father spoke as if he was discussing war tactics instead of being a father.

"The distance between you two is even greater than it was before Queen Hathoraset died. I do not ever recall you taking interest in Jasana's studies, and praising her quick progress. She has remarkable talent, especially for a young woman of her age. She is growing up right before your very eyes, and you do not seem to even realize it!" I had never heard Uncle Akhnadin speak to my father in such a way before. "I therefore advise you, my brother, to pay more attention to her, see the way she conducts herself, let her know that you wish to be a greater part of her life. I would like to see you be more to her than just her king and father that she must obey. You are the King of Egypt, yes, you are king of us all. But you are also a father, Akhenamkhanen, and you cannot ignore your children."

"I do not ignore Atem, Akhnadin," Father said steadily. "Surely you've seen that I am a good father to him?"

"I do not deny that you are the best of fathers to Prince Atem, but what of Jasana?"

"I told her that she is as beautiful as her mother the night of the banquet."

"That's a good start, my king, but only a start." I strained my ears to hear as Nebatet lowered her voice. "But back to the point of marriage. Jasana will be expected to marry someone, if not pushed to it by everyone around her. I only ask that you respect her feelings when deciding on the matter."

"The matter may already be settled, since Meta has mentioned to me a couple of eligible young men."

"Meta may like them, but she is not the one marrying them. Hathoraset told me that she asked you to let Jasana have a say in who she marries. You promised her that Jasana would get to choose the one that she married, no matter his station, is that correct?"

Father nodded, neither smiling nor frowning. "But I believe that Meta has the best interests of Jasana at heart. She was the one who brought it to my attention that S-Jasana was behaving improperly with your son, Mahado."

"She also convinced you to halt Jasana's sorcery lessons, if I remember correctly," Akhadin said. "Queen Hathoraset would have never allowed it if she was still living, and do you know how Jasana reacted when she found out?"

"It is my understanding that she was pleased to learn the art of healing. Meta told me so." I felt myself boil with anger. Mahado must have sensed this, for he grabbed my arm in case I felt the impulse to turn and run into the throne hall and deny everything that Meta has said about me.

"Stay, Jani," Mahado warned me.

"I do not know what lies Meta has been telling you, Brother, for it is not true. Jasana was most upset when Meta arranged for her to learn healing, she was absolutely furious! Which brings us to the next subject of our discussion. Healing may be a helpful art to Jasana, but was it not the late Queen Hathoraset's wishes to have Jasana learn the battle arts-"

"-which she learns with you, does she not, Akhnadin?" I could tell that Father was starting to get tired of the conversation.

"Yes, but what is the use of the swordfighting if she cannot learn the ways of battle magic? It is around time that Jasana should be learning to summon her ka-"

"Meta has assured me that she would have no use for such magic."

"She most certainly would!" Akhnadin said firmly, almost shouting the words.

Now Nebatet spoke. "Please, my king, you cannot have Meta come here and give you report after report on your daughter's well-being, for Meta knows nothing of Jasana." I silently cheered for Nebatet. "As much as Meta would want it to be so, you and I both know that Jasana will not be some passive Princess confined to the harem of the palace. If she was, it would be a most sorry loss for Egypt, and for the Prince Atem. She has her mother's powers, and they can be used to protect her brother, and to protect Egypt! Do not be blinded by Meta's lies. Jasana has a lot of potential; she is as strong and bright as her mother was! I can easily see Jasana helping her brother rule Egypt justly and wisely. But in order for her to reach this potential, she will need the proper training."

"It would be wise," Akhnadin added, "for Jasana to resume her training as a sorceress. For you never know, she may be High Priestess one day, and a Guardian of the Pharaoh!"

"ENOUGH!" Father shouted, raising his hand. "Get out of my sight now, the both of you!"

Nebatet did not say anything. Although I could not see it, I knew her eyes were blazing, and she did not regret a word that she had said. She walked out of the throne room, but Akhnadin turned. He said slowly and quietly, "I beseech you to think of it, Brother. Think of Hathoraset, and what she would have wanted. Talk to your daughter, and see how wrong Meta has been. You will see that you hardly even know your daughter anymore, and it is a sorry father who does not know his own child." Akhnadin then walked away.

I sank and leaned my back against the stone railing, hardly believing what I just heard. It was hard for me to realize just how little Father knew of me really. The daughter he knew was Sahm-Aset, the Princess Meta wanted me to be. He had already assumed I was that Princess. But in truth, I was a completely different person from the one he knew through Meta.

I felt a tug on my hand, and lifted my head to gaze at Mahado. He was just about as shocked as I was. "Come on, Jani, I don't think we should stay here for long." I numbly nodded and he pulled me up to my feet. As we made our way down the stairs, Mahado reversed the Invisibility Spell. I blindly followed Mahado as he pulled me along, not knowing where we were going, not even caring. When Mahado finally let go of my hand, I saw that he had brought me to the same remote corner where he taught me the magical skills he had learned.

I was surprised to see Isis and Karim waiting for us there.

"Jasana, what's happened? You look like you've just faced the wrath of Set!" Isis's dark eyes examined me worriedly. (2)

"What is going on, Mahado?" Karim asked. Isis and Karim were sitting on a stone bench. Mahado and I took the one opposite to them.

"We've just been in the gallery above the throne room, and we overheard a conversation concerning Jani."

"You were eavesdropping, on the _Pharaoh_?" Isis looked at us as if we had just committed a horrible crime.

"It was Jani's idea," Mahado said defensively. I solemnly nodded as Isis looked at me inquisitively. At that point I wished that Mahado had run ahead to block me instead of help me. "Anyway, that is beside the point."

"Who was the Pharaoh speaking with?" Karim asked, as serious as a priest who's about to interpret a dream.

"He was speaking with Uncle Akhnadin and Nebatet." I croaked, still struggling to find my voice.

Kairm breathed a sigh of relief. "It could not have been that horrible to hear, if it was not Meta speaking, right?" Seeing that Mahado and I did not respond, and Isis was staring at the ground pensively, he continued, "Well, what was said during the conversation that we should know about?"

Mahado looked to me. I tried to speak, but my voice just would not cooperate. I only managed to say, "Nebatet remarked that I am now of an age to marry…"

"That's hardly a surprise, Princess Jasana."

Mahado spoke up in my stead. "We heard that the Queen Hathoraset made the Pharaoh promise that he would let Jani have a say in her marriage. However, as we would expect, there are people who do not respect that promise. Meta has several men in mind for Jani. I can tell you that they would be men who only lust for power, as much as Meta lusts for power herself."

Isis gasped, and Karim nodded his head in agreement. "But Jasana cannot be Queen. It is the Prince who is intended to inherit the throne, Mahado," Karim stated.

"Karim, think. Anyone who lusts for power is a danger to the throne of Egypt! The Prince is still young yet. If he should inherit the throne when he is still too young to rule, then someone will have to rule for him as Regent. Most likely it will be Jani who becomes Regent, and her husband naturally will become Regent too! How easy do you think it would be to seize the throne once someone becomes Regent?"

"Are you calling me a traitor then?" I asked, half hurt and half angry.

Guilt filled Mahado's eyes as he quietly said, "No, that is not what I meant Jani, I am really sorry if you perceived it that way-"

"Are you saying that whoever marries me will just use me as an instrument to gain power?" Right after I said that, I abruptly rose and stormed away.

Mahado called out, "Jani, please, I did not mean it like that! Come back!" I ignored him and started to run, tears flying out of my eyes.

* * *

I ran blindly, not caring about who saw me or what they would say. I ran until- _bump!_- I crashed into Akhnadin. He staggered slightly from the impact. 

"What's the matter, Jasana?" Akhnadin asked.

I shook my head, crying even harder. Akhnadin put his arm around my shoulder and gently led me to his room, where we sat on a wide seat. I could not speak through my tears, so Akhnadin just held me as I cried.

After my tears had subsided a little, I managed to speak. "I'm…s-sorry, Unc-cle A-Akhnadin. I j-just l-lost control…"

"It's all right to cry, Jasana. Crying helps us to release our feelings; it enables us to let them go, which is essential to our health. It would not do to keep feelings bottled inside for too long." Akhnadin spoke with the tone of a father. "Now, what happened that has upset you so much?"

I hesitated, not knowing if I should tell him what Mahado said. After all, the only reason we were having that conversation was because I just had to go and eavesdrop on Nebatet and Akhadin as they spoke with Father. Also, I was alone with Mahado, a situation that Father had forbidden. But I knew that my uncle could be trusted. "It was nothing, really. Mahado said something that had made me unintentionally angry. It triggered all of these feelings inside me, and I guess I just burst."

"Nebatet was right, this is indeed a critical age for you, and a delicate one as well. I think I should tell you this, Jasana. You are now of an age to be married."

"And?" I asked nervously.

"So you will need to be careful. There are many men who will want to marry you. Since your mother is dead, you are now the most powerful woman in the kingdom. I want you to be on your guard as these men try to court you. Can you promise me that you will be careful?"

"Yes, Uncle. But if I may ask, why will so many men want to be my husband?" The word "husband" sounded so strange in my mouth.

"It's very complicated, I'm afraid."

"It's because I'm royalty, isn't it?" My voice was filled with bitterness.

"Unfortunately, yes. Whoever marries you will gain a lot of power, Jasana. The husband of the Princess! Imagine what a position that is, especially for those of the lower nobility. But that does not mean all those who are vying to be your husband are false."

"Will I have a say, Uncle? Will I get to choose who I marry, or is it all based on some duty I must fulfill?"

"You will have a say, Jasana. Do not worry. Your mother has taken measures to ensure that your marriage will bring you happiness, and I will make sure that you will have a say in who you marry. It will be your choice, but your father will also have a say."

"What would Father care for my marriage? It hardly seems like I'm there at all! He hasn't acknowledged me since the banquet, and Khonsu has already come and gone three times since then!" Akhnadin's eyes softened with sympathy as I said that.

"I know, that is why Nebatet and I confronted your father just now. I tried my best to tell him that he needs to pay more attention to you, Jasana. At the very least I hope he will allow you to resume your training as a full-fledged sorceress."

I beamed. "I really appreciate you and Nebatet confronting Father, Uncle. If I don't have Father, at least I have you."

Akhnadin smiled back. "Perhaps you should find Mahado and tell him that you're not angry after all."

"Maybe I should," I said in agreement. I rose to walk away, but then I paused. There was still something I wanted to ask of my uncle. "But Uncle Akhnadin, could you do another favor for me?"

"What is that favor?"

"Father does not seem to approve of Mahado and me being together. Father forbade us from being together alone, but I still see him alone. There's nothing wrong with that, is there? Mahado is my dearest friend, Uncle, and I would really appreciate it if Father can see that I'm not behaving improperly with him. I would also appreciate it if he would let us be the friends that we are."

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with being with Mahado, but I would advise you to be careful when you are around him too, Jasana. I will talk with your father and see if he will change his mind about keeping the two of you from spending time together."

"Thank you, Uncle Akhnadin." I hugged him and then walked out of his rooms.

* * *

Later that day, I sat on a stone bench alone watching Ra pass into the Afterlife. Nut was clothed in a brilliant mix of orange and pink, and Ra's golden smile had turned the Nile into a flashing ribbon of gold. Shu blew a faint and gentle breeze as cooling as water. (3) 

I heard subtle, hesitant footsteps behind me. I turned around and saw Mahado standing by a pillar, looking as if he was afraid to step closer. Seeing me glance at him, he slowly approached me, and I saw the guilt on his face. I immediately felt sorry for making him feel so guilty. I would have done anything to bring the smile back into his eyes.

I smiled at him, "Hello, Mad."

"Hello, Jani," he replied shyly. "I…I am so deeply sorry for upsetting you earlier today."

I tapped the space beside me with my fingertips to beckon him to sit. "You did nothing wrong, Mad, it's just that your words triggered all sorts of feelings that were locked inside me, and I lost control of them. The tears really did me good though. Please don't feel guilty, Mad. I forgive you." At those last three words, Mahado finally managed to smile.

"Everything's going to change now, isn't it?" I asked, a little sad.

Mahado smiled sadly. "I'm afraid so. I'm sensing this bad feeling that things are about to happen, and I don't like it. Although things are about to change, we will all face the change together."

"Yes. You, Isis, and Karim are all on your way to becoming Sacred Guardians of the Pharaoh, and I will be right there, standing beside you to protect my brother. Know this, Mad. I will never betray my brother. I made a promise to Mother that I will take care of him, and so I will."

"I know that you would protect the Prince with your life, Jani, but there are those who will devote their lives to see him fall."

"Then I will devote my life to strike them all down," I said fervently.

"We all will."

We sat in silence as Ra descended into the Afterlife. Then I slowly said, "And so, Ra has died again." As Ra's life ended, it felt like my own childhood was ending with it.

Mahado comfortingly patted my hand. "But he will rise again and return, Jani. He will always return to journey across Nut tomorrow." (4)

* * *

**Note:**

**1- In Ancient Egypt, girls married at a young age. They were ready to be married once they began menstruating. There are records of a bride being as young as nine years old.**

**2- Set was the god of storms, destruction, and evil. **

**3- For a description of Nut, see Chapter 6. For a description of Shu, see Chapter 2. **

**4- It was believed that Ra, the sun god, was born every morning and died every night. In the Afterlife, he had to fight his way through obstacles in order to be reborn.**

**Thanks for reading! Please review too! Hopefully I will get Chapter 11 up soon! **


	11. An Ominous Dream

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Yugioh!

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**

Nephthys whinnied happily, rearing onto her hind legs. I leaned forward slightly and gripped her mane. I heard Atem gasp as he sat on his horse behind me, but I was not alarmed. Nephthys had reared many times when she was carrying me on her back, and she did not let me fall once. Once her front feet were on the ground, she pinned her ears back and charged. Waiting for us at the other end of the arena was a figure made of thin wood on a wooden horse. I gripped my sword in my hand and held my breath, waiting for the precise moment to strike. A moment too soon, and the force of the strike would be reduced. A moment too late- in reality, not practice- would be costly, perhaps even fatal.

Taking my sword in both of my hands, I swung fiercely. I aimed higher than I intended to and ended up beheading the figure. Having reached the end of the arena, Nephthys swerved around, nearly unseating me. I gripped her mane just in time to save myself from hitting the ground. Nephthys slowed to a trot as we neared the spot where Atem, Mahado, Isis, Karim, and Shada were waiting on their horses.

"Good job, Sis!" Atem exclaimed. Still trying to catch my breath, I managed to smile.

We were all learning horseback combat with Akhnadin. Now that we were getting older, Akhnadin thought that it would be better if we learned and practiced the battle arts together in a group. This group did not exactly include Atem, but he begged to be included. So Akhnadin let him at least mount a horse and be with us in the arena.

Akhnadin was not as enthusiastic as Atem. His eyes critical, he smiled a small smile as he analyzed my performance. He spoke, "Though you had missed your target, I see that you managed to finish your opponent off after all." We all laughed. "But aiming is important, Princess Jasana. What if your opponent ducked, and so you missed his head? That would have been a potentially fatal mistake. You will also need to strengthen your arms so that you can carry your sword with one hand and still deal a powerful blow. If your horse swerves- as she did just now- you will most likely fall off. If you should have to fight, it is not guaranteed that the horse you ride will be one that you have ridden before." I blinked and looked at Nephthys. She was the only horse in the arena without a bridle, and I was riding her bareback. She is the only horse I would have dared to ride without a bridle, and the only one that would let me ride her bareback.

I nodded and joined the others. Akhnadin cast a spell and the head became reattached to the figure. Karim rode next, aiming an almost perfect strike at the figure's chest. Mahado rode afterward, striking a little too soon and only chipping the figure's shoulder.

"Why can't I practice with an actual sword and gallop like the rest of you?" Atem whined. Akhnadin had him ride first, while the rest of us were warming up our horses. He only had a wooden sword, and could only trot up to the figure.

"The rest of us have been learning and practicing for a longer time than you have, Atem. At one point, we also practiced with wooden swords at the trot. You have to practice in that manner in order to improve yourself. Then you will be able to advance to a real sword. You have to learn to walk before you can run, Little Brother."

"I suppose you're right." Atem sighed. "I cannot wait until I am grown up just like you, Mahado, and all the others."

I shook my head. Atem was like all other children, dreaming of the day when they would be grown adults and do grown up things. I had also dreamt of the day when I became a powerful sorceress, and how Mother would smile upon me with approval. But reality struck. Now that I was growing up, I longed for the days of bliss childhood.

"Enjoy these days, Atem. You will grow up one day, and when that day comes, I guarantee that you will pine for the days of your childhood."

Atem looked at me as if I was speaking some strange language. Then his eyes shifted to behind me. Mana was approaching quickly. Atem rode to the gate and dismounted. Mana said something quietly to him, and Atem looked over to Akhnadin. Akhnadin nodded his head, and Atem eagerly ran back to the palace with Mana. I smiled as I watched Atem and Mana run off together. The two of them reminded me of how Mahado and I were at that age.

An hour later, the lesson was over. Shada made his way back to the stables, completely exhausted. Isis, Karim, and Mahado made their way to the gate, but Mahado paused, seeing that I was not going anywhere. "Are you still going to ride, Jani?"

I nodded. "I have not really ridden Nephthys for pleasure in a long time. I think I'll stay for a little bit."

"We will stay with you then," Karim said. The four of us galloped out of the arena, feeling as free as the wind as we raced along the Nile.

* * *

"Isis, for crying out loud, you are just making a big deal out of nothing!" I said, rolling my eyes. We were getting ready for bed, and Isis was combing my hair. Isis had taken up the annoying habit of mentioning the ways Mahado had shown his "affection" for me everyday. 

"Well, you would not notice anything, Jasana, but I have. Whenever you come near, his whole face lights up. He was watching you today as you rode, and you should have seen the concern on his face when you nearly fell off."

"Well, of course he would be concerned, I'm his friend. He told me long ago that I am his best friend. Really, Isis, he's just acting as a friend would! You are getting my hopes up for nothing." Now I was **REALLY** getting frustrated with Isis.

"I'm sorry if it would appear so, but I wouldn't torment you in such a way if it was not true." Isis looked remorseful.

"Really, Isis? Because that is exactly what you are doing right now."

"But I'm trying to make a point here."

"Have you not already made your point? Was it not to tell me that Mahado really cares for me?" I asked sarcastically.

Isis sighed, shaking her head a little. "The bond between the two of you is obvious to anyone who pays close attention. Who is someone that we know of that pays a lot of attention to your actions? In fact, she pays more attention to you than you would like."

I gasped, "Meta."

Isis nodded, her eyes somber. "Exactly. Meta would notice this, and perhaps that is why she does not want the two of you to be together. You have to be careful, Jasana, or else rumors will pop up everywhere, and then it will ruin your image. Meta will not have anyone getting in the way of her plans for you, including Mahado. She has a man in mind for you, and so beware- you and Mahado appear to be too close for her comfort."

"She has nothing to worry about. Mahado and I are just friends."

Isis made a move to say something, but then I continued, "Isis, can we _please_ just sleep? I do not need you saying things that will only confuse and baffle me. Things are already difficult enough without you mentioning Mahado."

"As you wish then, Jasana. I'm sorry; I did not mean to distress you so. I had only thought that you would be happy to hear that Mahado cares for you as much as you care for him. I only meant to help you, seeing as that you have never felt this way before. I will say no more then." Isis blew out the candle and laid her head on her pillow. I tossed and turned for a while, and caught myself thinking of Mahado. I could still hear his ringing laugh in my head, and I remembered the way he smiled at me…

Isis meant to help me, but for some reason, I refused to believe her. Mahado did not actually say that he cared for me. Isis was only guessing based on the way he was acting. But I wanted with all my heart to believe her. Then, I imagined what it would be like if Mahado was the one I married…

I smacked myself on the head. _This is just getting ridiculous,_ I told myself. _Thanks a lot, Isis._ With that, I turned once more and finally went to sleep. Although I managed to fall asleep, the gods still would not let me rest…

_I see Atem playing with Mana below a tree. He's standing still, but a snake is lingering on a branch right behind him, getting ready to strike…_

I woke up with a start. It seemed like I had just fallen asleep, and now I was awake again. I sat up in my bed. Hugging my knees, I tried to calm myself down. _Not another dream…What could it mean? Is Atem going to be bitten by a snake? Or maybe that snake just symbolizes something…If only I could talk to Mad! Wait- why can't I? Somehow he was always available for me to talk to when my dreams were bothering me; maybe I'll be able to talk to him this time.. _I slowly got out of bed, but then Isis stirred, and I remembered all that she said. For a minute I hesitated. _I might get caught, and what will happen then?_

_Oh, this is ridiculous! _Another voice in my head said. _Just go! You have magical skills, use them!_

I grabbed a cloak and wrapped it around myself. I murmured, "_In the name of Aset, the Mistress of Magic, I conceal myself from plain sight. I also shall not be heard, or detected in any way." _I sealed the entrance to my doorway, and then I walked out into the night.

As I walked down the corridors, I suddenly felt a strange pang of loneliness. Isis, Karim, Mahado, and Shada were all destined to become Sacred Guardians of the Pharaoh. They knew what their destinies were, but as for me- mine still had not been revealed yet. I did not think it was likely that I would become a Guardian. The thought that all of my friends would one day become Guardians made me feel somewhat excluded. They had something to look forward to, in a sense. Their destinies were secure.

Even my little brother, Atem, knew his own destiny. He would one day sit on the throne of Egypt, a destiny that was once meant for me. But I did not envy my brother as the center of attention. I saw how everyone hovers over him, as they once hovered over me. The only thing he had that I envied was Father's affection...

"I was thinking I would find you here, Jani." Mahado's voice startled me. I turned around, and there he was. He approached my side, and I became acutely aware of how tall he was getting, and how his voice was subtly getting deeper.

"Why were you thinking you would find me here?" I asked, suddenly becoming shy.

"It's hard to explain, I just sensed that something was troubling you. Are your dreams bothering you again?"

"I had a dream where I saw Atem playing, and there was a snake behind him."

"Did it strike?" Mahado asked, concerned.

"No, not that I saw. That's why I could not sleep. I kept thinking about what it could possibly mean."

"It could very well just be a symbolic dream, Jani. When the Prince becomes Pharaoh, he will naturally be in danger. Perhaps the snake was just representing the danger he will face."

I smiled at Mahado's attempt to comfort me. "That is what I was thinking too."

"But I will still keep an eye on the Prince, and make sure that all snakes stay away."

I looked into his kind, soft eyes. "Will you really?"

"If it makes you feel better." I blushed furiously as he said that. "Besides, nowadays the Pharaoh has me look after the Prince anyway."

"It would make me feel a lot better. Thank you, Mad."

He smiled, and then I asked, "Mad, do you think we are too familiar with each other?"

His smile transformed into a quizzical expression. "What do you mean?"

"I heard Isis warning me that Meta might be trying to keep us apart because she thinks that our friendship will hinder my marriage prospects." I checked myself, and then I said quickly, "But I do not think so, and I think that Isis was just teasing."

"It could be possible," Mahado said slowly. He didn't say anything and looked out at the silvery sand. I stood there anxiously, and then he finally said, "I think that from now on, in the presence of others, we should call each other by our formal names. In front of Isis and Karim we'll still call each other by our regular names, but I do not want your reputation to be tarnished because of me."

"My _reputation?_" I asked, totally confused. He looked at me, and I knew that he was right. If Meta did not already know that we called each other "Jani" and "Mad", she was bound to find out soon, and when she did, she would not like it one bit.

"Very well then, Mad. But this is going to be very awkward."

"As long as Meta is convinced that we are drifting apart due to the fact that we're growing up, it will be worth it. That way, hopefully she will leave us alone, believing her job to be working for her. If that happens, it will be worth it, Jani."

"You're right. I bid you good night then, Mahado."

Mahado bowed. "Sleep well, Princess Jasana." Our eyes locked for a second, and then I put the hood of my cloak up and walked away. As I walked away, I could not help but look back at Mahado, and I saw him silently gazing back at me.

* * *

The next day passed, and Atem did not even see a snake. A few days passed without incident. Ironically, Isis and I were learning about snake bites and how to treat them. Seven days after that dream, it happened. Lady Aseneit, our teacher, was showing Isis and me the various ointments and amulets to use in case of a snakebite, when I heard someone shout, "Princess, Princess! Come quickly! Mahado has been bitten by a snake, and the Prince sent me to come find Your Highness! 

I jumped up and grabbed a small jar. But then I stopped for a second. "Did you say that Mahado was bitten?" I went numb for a moment.

"Yes, Princess," the servant answered. "Quickly! They are in the grove of trees outside the shrine to Horus!"

That was on the other side of the palace. I instinctively ran to the stable, which was just nearby. Being out of breath, I waved all the grooms aside and ran to the padlock where Nephthys was. I whistled for her and opened the gate. She cantered out of the padlock at my summoning. I climbed onto her back and whispered, "Nephthys, Mahado is in danger! Run as fast as you can!" I dug my heels into her side and buried my free hand into her mane, and she flew out of the stables. I steered her with my knees, mentally pleading, _Please, Aset, please let Mad be all right…_

As I neared the grove of trees, I saw Atem kneeling beside Mahado, sucking the poison out. I dismounted and ran towards them.

Atem looked up at me. "Jasana! Thank Horus you're here!"

"Did you swallow any of the poison?" I asked, breathing hard.

"No. Is Mahado going to be all right?"

"Let me see him." Mahado was sweating, and his breathing was ragged. "How are you feeling, Mad?" I asked.

"Faint." I immediately picked up his arm and applied ointment to the place where the snake had bitten him. I chanted spells to make the ointment more effective. As I chanted more spells, I heard hoof beats coming from behind me. I turned around and saw Isis riding with Lady Aseneit behind her.

They dismounted and came running. I stepped aside in order to let Lady Aseneit examine Mahado.

"You were doing a fine job, Princess. Mahado will be just fine." I breathed a huge sigh of relief. Lady Aseneit chanted a few more spells over Mahado's arm. "That is all that needs to be done, but he should still be taken to the medical wing."

I conjured a cup of water and handed it to Atem. "You might want to wash your mouth out, in case there's still some of the poison in your mouth," I said in an undertone. Atem did as I told him to.

Isis and I helped Mahado to his feet. He said quietly, "I can walk."

"Are you sure?" I asked, worried that he might faint along the way.

I saw Karim and Shada come running. "Mahado! Are you all right?" Shada asked.

"I'm fine now, thanks to Jani and the Prince." Mahado gave me a grateful smile. Karim and Shada helped Mahado to the medical wing, while Isis and I led our horses back to the stables. Atem and Mana followed us.

"Father won't be angry, will he? I sucked out the poison to save Mahado!" Atem said.

"I do not know, Atem," I said honestly. At the entrance to the stable, Isis handed the reins over to a groom, but I led Nephthys to her padlock, since she was not bridled. She followed me as a dog would follow his master. I opened the gate, and she walked in, sweetly nudging me on the shoulder as she passed me. I patted her on the nose before I walked away with Isis, Mana, and Atem.

* * *

"-riding out and wreaking havoc everywhere!" Meta yelled. "Honestly, Princess, have you no dignity?" I sat in a chair, glaring at Meta with absolute hatred as she scolded me, treating me like a young housemaid. 

"I was NOT wreaking havoc! I was simply galloping to a grove of trees! If I had not done so, Mahado could have died for all I know!"

"A shame that he didn't!" Meta screeched.

I jumped to my feet. "How dare you talk about Mahado like that!"

"You dare talk to me like this, Princess? After all that I have done for you?" Meta's eyes were blazing, and she strutted about as if she was the very Queen of Egypt herself.

"After you stopped my magic lessons, forbade me from riding out alone, and alone with Mahado, tried to isolate me from my friends, YES!" I yelled back, furious. "You have done NOTHING to improve my life, Meta; in fact, YOU are the cause of my misery! I will have you know that you are NOT my mother, so you are in no position to scold me like one! I am the Princess of Egypt, so you have **no** rights over me!"

"What is going on in here?" Father asked imperiously. I froze. Meta bowed. She said in a fake hurt voice, "My liege, Princess Sahm-Aset was being ungrateful about how I look after her!" I shot her a glare of anger. "I was just concerned for her safety."

"Excuse me, Lady Meta," I spat her name out, "but if I was remembering correctly, you were scolding me for riding out and wreaking havoc. I was most definitely not wreaking havoc, I was only saving Mahado!" I was just about ready to lunge at her throat. I wanted to conjure a thousand daggers and stab her with all of them.

"It's time we have a talk, Daughter. Come with me." Father walked out of the room, and I followed behind, preparing to defend myself. He led me into one of the beautiful gardens, and he sat on a stone bench, motioning for me to sit beside him. I stiffly sat down, my anger still sizzling.

"You really should give Meta more respect, Sahm-Aset. She has been caring for you greatly, has she not?"

"If you consider changing my name, restricting my time with my friends, and forcing me into the mold of a passive woman as being caring, then I could not ask for a better caretaker," I replied bitterly.

"Watch your tongue, Daughter," Father said strictly.

"I have a name, Father," I said, angry tears springing to my eyes. "I am Jasana. I am not Sahm-Aset! Sahm-Aset is the Princess that Meta is trying to force on me, but she is not me! I am Jasana, daughter of Hathoraset, not of Meta! No! Meta has **not** been caring for me. It is Nebatet who has been a loving mother to me since Mother died. She has listened to me when I needed someone to talk to; she has guided me as I am growing up. She has given me the strength to endure Meta's intrusive probing, and she has been protecting my friendships. It was she who wiped away all of my tears; Meta was the cause of them!" Father was taken aback by my words. "With all due respect Father," I said, tears pouring out of eyes now, "I am now fifteen years old. I was told that I was the most powerful woman in Egypt now that Mother is dead, but I feel like I am the most powerless. It is Meta who is trying to dictate my life. But I am a Princess, and she is just a lowly noble. I am old enough to be a wife, old enough to even be a mother, so I should be old enough to be my own mistress. I am far from being weak. I am now a young woman with her own mind. I neither want nor need Meta telling me how a Princess should act, because I do not want to be the person she wants me to be. Surely I have the right to become the kind of woman that I, and only I, want to be? I have the right to say who my friends are, do I not? Meta is only hindering me from what I want to be!" I finally stopped speaking.

"What is it that you want to be?" Father asked gently.

I thought for a while, trying to contain my sobs. "I want to be me, Father. I do not want to just be a healer; I want to be a sorceress, trained to fight if ever my country should call for me. I want to know that my friends will always be there for me, and most of all, I want to be loved! You only know me through what Meta tells you. You never seem to take interest in my life, and so you designate Meta to watch me." Suddenly I turned fierce. "Well, I am done with Meta hovering over me, Father. She likes to think that she can take Mother's place, but she never will. And Mahado and I have not been behaving improperly; we have been best friends since we were young children. Why are you trying to keep us apart then?" Now I was crying too hard, and I ran out of the garden. I ran past Akhnadin, not even realizing that he had been there the whole time, and that he heard the entire conversation.

* * *

I ran until I reached the room where Mahado was staying in the medical wing. I tried to wipe away all of my tears before entering. Nebatet was there, and upon seeing my tearstained face, she asked, "Was Meta scolding you too harshly?" 

"No. I was…I was just talking…with Father." I started to cry again, and Nebatet held me. I was emotionally exhausted from speaking my mind to Father. I never thought that I could have said so much in one shot.

When I had somewhat stopped crying, Nebatet left the room so that I could talk with Mahado.

He grasped my hand, and I instantly felt comforted. "Thank you for saving me, Jani. I owe the Prince and you my life."

"It was nothing," I said, blushing. "You would have done the same for me."

"Yes, I would. What happened just now?" I told him everything that was said between Meta and me, and then I told him about the conversation I had with Father.

"Well, I'm glad that you stood up to Meta." Mahado's eyes glowed with admiration. "It's about time that you took more control of your life and put her in her place."

Feeling empowered by Mahado's words, I slowly said, "You know what? I agree. It's about time I did."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please review, too! I do not know when Chapter 12 will go up, since school starts again Monday and I'll be busy tomorrow and Sunday...hopefully soon! **


	12. Feverish Infatuation

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

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"Mana! Mana! Where are you?" I called. I stopped running for a minute in order to catch my breath. "Mana!" I had been combing all over the palace for Mana, and Mahado was searching for Atem. The two of them had not been seen since the midday meal.

"Pardon me for addressing you so boldly, Your Highness, but the girl you are looking for is hiding in the main courtyard. I saw her run past me not too long ago," a young male noble said. Until that day, I had not seen him before. He looked like he was about Karim's age, and he was quite handsome.

A sudden sense of embarrassment gripped me as I felt the sweat running down the back of my neck, and strands of my tied hair becoming loose. I must have looked quite wild.

I said unsteadily, "Thank you…may I know your name?"

"My name is Kanakh, and it is always a pleasure to serve you, Princess." He bowed gracefully, and for a moment our eyes locked. His eyes were a dark brown, and they sparkled as brightly as the akhs residing with Nut (1). There was something in them that intrigued me, and for a moment I found myself unable to speak.

"Thank…thank you, Kanakh," I stammered at last, and then I turned to walk away. Upon coming to the courtyard, I was dismayed to see that Mana was nowhere in sight. "_She must be hiding in one of the pots," _I said to myself. I started to peek in each of the pots. "_Why did we have to conjure up so many huge pots_?" I asked myself.

"She is in the one in that corner, Princess." I turned around to see Kanakh standing a slight distance behind me. I numbly smiled in gratitude and approached the pot that he had pointed out. As I neared the pot, I saw it wriggle. Mana was struggling to get out of the pot.

"Come on out, Mana, I know you're in there," I said gently. Mana meekly popped her head out of the pot. I could tell from the look in her eyes that she expected me to become angry and sternly lecture her, but I did nothing of the sort. I lifted her out of the pot and took her by the hand. Kanakh had remained in the courtyard, and I once again turned to face him. There was something about him that made me feel uneasy with myself. It took me an unusually great effort to calmly say, "Thank you for helping me, Kanakh."

"It was a pleasure to be able to assist you, Your Highness," he said smoothly. "May I hope to be of service to you in the future?"

"Yes, perhaps we shall see more of each other." Kanakh and I gazed at each other, and then I said to Mana, "Come Mana, let us go and find the Prince and Mahado." As I walked away, I felt a strange feeling of exhilaration fluttering in my heart. I did not know why, but I hoped with all my heart that I would indeed see more of him. I had caught the fever of an infatuation.

* * *

The next day, which was the Festival of Hathor, I was officially introduced to Kanakh. I was standing with Father, Atem, Mahado, Isis, Karim, and Nebatet in the royal balcony. The priests of Hathor's cult had just finished parading her statue around the city, and the procession was now entering the Official Courtyard (2). All of the citizens of the city had crowded into the Official Courtyard to watch. Suddenly, Meta appeared beside Father, and beside her was Kanakh. I smiled at him, but I felt my smile fade as I saw that he was somehow associated with Meta. 

Father put his hand on my shoulder, and I turned away from Mahado and the others to face Meta. She was as haughty as always, and she coldly said, "Princess Sahm-Aset, I would like to present to you my kinsman, Kanakh. He is a fine and bright young man, scoring one of the top scores of the examination among the nobility."

Kanakh bowed gracefully. "It is an honor to be presented to Your Excellency, my Pharaoh, and to you, my Princess."

I inclined my head slightly towards him. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Kanakh."

I would have said more to him, but then Mahado nudged me on the shoulder and whispered, "They're performing the ritual, Jani." All of us immediately turned our attention to the priests and priestesses. The priestesses rattled their sistrums (3) as they sang a hymn to Hathor. The Chief Priest offered the goddess an offering of wine, and then they carried the statue back to the Sacred Shrine.

With that, the official ritual was over, and it was time to get ready for the festival banquet. As we left the balcony, Kanakh walked beside me and said, "I hope that we shall become better acquainted at the banquet tonight, Princess."

"I look forward to it," I replied back. Then we made our way back into the corridors of the palace. Mahado and Karim escorted Atem back to his suite of rooms, while I went my separate way with Nebatet and Isis.

Isis quietly teased, "It looks like someone else has captured your eye!"

I blushed furiously and said, "I wouldn't say that just yet, but there is something about him. What do you know of him?"

"He is the cousin of Meta, but as far as I know, he does not associate with her that much. He seems to be quite popular among the other ladies of nobility though. I do not know much else of him."

"Well, I met him yesterday, when I was looking for Mana. He was extremely helpful in locating her. I say that he seems to be a very nice and very handsome man, completely decent."

"Beware, Jasana," Nebatet said, "that is only your first impression. In meeting young men, it is best to be wary of your first judgment. Looks can sometimes be deceiving, especially when you are looking by the light of temporary love." I was so foolish that I did not fully hear what Nebatet said; I kept thinking of Kanakh. At that point, I did not fully grasp how accurate Nebatet's words were.

* * *

I no longer remember the details of what was said and done at the banquet that night. All I remember of it was that Kanakh and I did indeed talk more, and I found him to be a very agreeable person. It was hard to believe that he was even related to Meta, in my opinion. As I look back now, all details concerning Kanakh seem to be very trivial and unimportant. 

I do remember that Mahado was looking quite forlorn the entire night. I approached him once and said, "Mad, you seem to be down tonight. What is troubling you?"

He looked at me confusedly and replied in a false happy tone, "There is nothing wrong with me, Jani! I am quite fine tonight." He smiled an empty smile back at me, and I left him to go and talk to Kanakh. If my head had been clear that night, I would have seen that Mahado was lying, and I was the cause of his sadness. I always made an effort to talk to him at the banquets, but that night I was occupied with Kanakh. But that was the problem: my head was not clear, and –though I regret to say it- I was too caught up in the happiness of the moment to be more attentive towards Mahado's feelings.

* * *

Any girl can remember the feverish feeling of her first real infatuation. I am no different. After that banquet, I would spend every day dreaming of Kanakh, and I would always keep a subtle eye out for him, hoping to bump into him again. I found it hard to focus on anything else, but I still tried my best to keep up in my studies. 

It was surprising to see that Meta did not object to my spending so much time with Kanakh. But of course, I did not complain. However, it soon became clear that Mahado did.

We were walking to the library one day, and I said, "Shall we invite Kanakh to join us?"

Mahado didn't answer, but the slightest shadow flickered through his eyes, and the hint of a frown pervaded his entire face.

"All right, we won't then," I said quietly. We walked on for a short while with the tension of awkward silence between us. I was confused; Mahado was hardly ever silent around me. As he walked along, he kept his gaze fixed on the ground in front of him.

He had not been himself since the night of the Festival of Hathor. I could see that he was making an effort to act normally, but it was not working. There was something bothering him, but for some reason he was really reluctant to tell me.

"What is wrong, Mad?" I asked softly.

"Nothing, Jani." He did not even look at me when he said that. I was baffled by this change in him.

"You're lying- there is something bothering you. You've been really quiet since the Festival of Hathor, and you've been acting strangely around me. Please, Mad, tell me what it is."

"If you feel like talking, why don't you go and find Kanakh?" He asked stiffly.

I immediately sensed what the problem was.

"Mad, you're still my friend, even though I am very fond of Kanakh," I said, tears starting to my eyes.

"Then why do you insist on being with him every waking second?" Mahado asked, still not meeting my eyes.

I was startled. "That's not true, Mad. I still spend time with you, Isis and Karim, and sometimes he doesn't come along."

"But you think constantly of him," Mahado said bitterly.

"And?"

"Nothing, forget that I ever said anything," Mahado said shortly. Then a servant came, telling Mahado that Atem wanted to see him, and he went without saying a word. I didn't go to the library after all. Instead, I walked back to my chambers, thinking seriously about why Mahado had been acting the way he did. I knew that it had something to do with Kanakh, but I could not figure out exactly what.

* * *

"Isis, Mahado has been acting strangely of late. Can you please tell me what's been bothering him exactly? I know that it has something to do with Kanakh, tell me, please." It was late at night, and, as usual, Isis was combing my hair. 

She sighed, and then said, "Very well, I shall be completely honest with you. Mahado's issues are his own, I do not know about all of them. However, personally, I think that you are becoming too attached to Kanakh, and this could be what is bothering Mahado. The two of you have bonded quite quickly considering that you have known each other for only a month. You seem to be very fond of Kanakh, but he is not as fond of you as you would like to think. He is quite the ladies' man, and I see that he is doing nothing except toying with your heart."

"That is impossible, Isis! We see each other every day, and have you seen the way he acts, the way he looks at me and smiles at me? He's devoted to me, he even told me so!" I exclaimed.

"I knew that you would not believe me," Isis said sadly. "It is only natural- you will have to see it for yourself."

"No, you must have been mistaken Isis. He just has other friends who happen to be ladies. There's nothing wrong with that. Mahado and Karim are men, and they are my friends. Kanakh doesn't object to me being with them." I did not want to believe what Isis told me, even though Isis's observations were usually right.

As I went to sleep that night, Isis's words seemed to ring throughout my head. My mind wanted to believe her, but my heart did not. And, as infatuated girls usually do, they let their heart take over for their head. _I'll see... Isis is wrong. He loves me, it is simple and clear. Soon he will tell me, and then we shall be happy together. Isis can't be right, she just can't be…

* * *

_

Infatuation is a fever. Like all fevers, it must go away sometime. There are different ways for it to end. Sometimes it will just slowly fade away, without too much pain on the part of the sufferer, and they recover quickly. But other times, the symptom includes getting a broken heart, and in that case it takes a longer time to heal, because it inflicts a lot more pain on the sufferer…

It had been three days since I talked with Isis. I sensed that she must have talked with Mahado, for he was doubling his efforts to act normally. That night, I saw just how right she was, and Mahado was right there with me.

Mahado and I were walking along a secluded corridor. We were making our way to a place where we could practice our magic in secret. Suddenly, we heard footsteps, and Mahado silently cast an Invisibility Spell to hide us, since there were no pillars to hide behind. There were voices quietly talking, and I strained my ears to hear them.

"I thought you were quite madly in love with the Princess, Kanakh," a female voice said, coquettishly giggling.

"How can I love the Princess when I love you?" Kanakh said. I felt my heart sink.

"Then why do you seem to be so devoted to her?" I peeked around the corner, though Mahado laid his hand on my arm. I saw a girl in the arms of Kanakh. Though I did not know who she was, I instantly hated her.

"I have no feelings for her, I really do not. Meta put me in front of her, and I simply played my part. I know that it might have seemed that I was serious in my feelings for her, but it was nothing- just a courtier flirting with the Princess." Kanakh's earnest expression drove a knife through my heart.

"But why did you flirt with her in the first place?" Now the girl fixed Kanakh with an accusing stare.

"Any courtier would flirt with the Princess, so that she may favor them, and then they might be able to gain lands or positions and such. Then together, you and I will become richer, and one day may even be the chief people behind the throne!"

He then quietly murmured, "Please, my love, it did not mean anything. You know that it is you I love and only you…" With that, he and the other girl kissed passionately, their arms wound tightly each other. I clapped my hand to my mouth, shock overwhelming me.

I turned to look at Mahado, and he was gazing sadly at me. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and gently said, "Come, Jani." I went with him. All I could feel was a sick pain tearing through my heart. Though the pain was sharp, I could not cry. I was still numb, hardly believing what I just saw and heard.

As we walked along, I whispered hoarsely, "Mad, can we just go back to our rooms? I no longer feel like practicing magic tonight." Mahado nodded. We walked to my rooms in complete silence. Mahado's arm was still wrapped around my shoulder, and the Invisibility Spell he had cast was still in effect.

When we reached the hall that led to my rooms, I said, "Thank you, Mad, I can walk from here."

Mahado lifted the Invisibility Spell before asking, "Are you sure?" Mahado's eyes gazed worriedly into mine. It was all I could do to not cry in front of him.

"Yes," I said, my voice higher than normal, "I will be quite alright. Good night, Mad." I turned to walk away, but Mahado grabbed me by the wrist.

"There's no need to lie to me, Jani," Mahado said gently. My eyes flooded with tears, and Mahado escorted me into the sitting room. As we sat down, Mahado tenderly enveloped his arms around me, and I laid my head on his shoulder and let my tears pour out. There was nobody around except the two of us. There were no spies to report to Meta that Mahado and I were alone together, and there was nobody to see that I had been hurt. His head gently rested on mine, and his hand soothingly rubbed my shoulder.

After a while, Isis came in. She saw that I was crying, and she asked sympathetically, "What happened, Jasana?" If she was shocked at the sight of me being in Mahado's arms, she did not betray it in her face. She sat down on the other side of me.

"First, I think you should check the doorway and makes sure that Meta doesn't barge in here," Mahado said.

"Meta would never dare to intrude on Jasana's room while Nebatet is around," Isis replied. "Now, what has happened?"

Seeing that I was unable to tell her, Mahado said, "We just saw Kanakh with his arms wrapped around another girl. Apparently he was only flirting with Jani because she was the Princess, and he was hoping that by doing so, he would gain a favorable position of power or something similar."

"That is absolutely vile!" Isis said angrily.

"Yes, it is," I managed to say. My sobs receding, I wiped away my tears and lifted my head from Mahado's shoulder.

"Are you feeling better now?" There was something in the look in Mahado's eyes that I couldn't fully grasp- not at that time, anyway. He looked at me as if my well-being was the most important matter in the entire kingdom. I was greatly touched at his concern.

"Yes, I am fine now, thanks to you." After I said that, Mahado beamed with pure happiness. I suddenly seemed to realize how close the two of us were, with one of his arms still wrapped around my shoulder. I could feel myself starting to blush, but I did not pull away. I wanted to stay right there in his arms.

Finally, after a period of silence, Isis said somberly, "Mahado, I think you should go now." It was not the words she spoke, but the unspoken words, that all of us understood. If people noticed that Mahado had been missing for a while, then it would raise questions.

Mahado slowly released me from his grip, and I stood up, much to my reluctance. "Sleep well then, Jani," he said, his eyes never leaving mine.

"Good night, Mad, and thank you." His gesture had meant more to me than I could ever say.

After he left, Isis and I went about our bedtime routines. I waited for her to pelt me with questions on why Mahado was with me, or at least comment on how kind he was. But for once, Isis was silent on the subject, and I was silent too. Usually we found something to talk about, but that night the both of us were engrossed in our own thoughts to say anything to each other.

* * *

Seven days later, I was watching Atem as he became accustomed to the gallop. He had just turned eight years old, with his birthday being about three months after mine. I had promised that I would watch him and help him improve his riding. 

"Lower your heels, Atem. Relax your back; otherwise you won't be able to sit the gallop." Atem clung to the mane and tried to do what I told him to. The horse master had the horse galloping on a long rope in a circle.

Akhnadin then came along. I smiled and said warmly, "Hi, Uncle Akhnadin!"

Akhnadin smiled back "Well, hello, my little Princess! Are you observing your brother?"

I nodded. "He is getting better, but he still needs a lot of improvement."

"Don't be so hard on him, Jasana. There was a time when you were learning just like him, remember?"

"Yes, I remember," I said, smiling as I recalled the times when Mahado and I learned riding together.

Suddenly, it was as if by thinking of Mahado I had summoned him, for I saw him approaching the arena. I couldn't help but smile when I saw him coming.

"My Prince, it is time for your magic lesson. Mana is waiting for you."

"Already? The time flies by fast!" Atem said gaily as he hopped down from his horse. When he got out of the arena, he fixed me with an inquiring stare.

"I must say, you're getting better and better, Atem!" My little brother beamed brightly. "Just focus on relaxing and letting your body move with the rhythm of the horse. When you are on that horse, you and the horse are one, and you must pay as much attention to your horse's movement as she pays attention to you."

"All right, I'll do better next time!" Atem said, with determination set in his face.

I laughed as I hugged him. "I know you will."

Akhnadin said, "Mahado, I will escort the Prince to his lesson; you do not need to do so this time."

"Thank you, Master Akhnadin."

When Akhnadin had gone with Atem, Mahado and I walked together to the stables. It was time for the horses to be let out into the pastures. Although there were plenty of servants to lead Nephthys and the other horses to the pastures, there would be times when I felt like leading her myself. That was one of those times. Mahado led his own horse, Bata, alongside mine.

"How are you feeling, Jani?" Again, there was that look of tender concern in his eyes, mirrored in his voice.

I smiled a small smile. "I'll be better as the time passes by. That was what your mother said to me earlier today. She told me that every girl has felt this way before, and that like everyone else, I will recover in time." I did not tell him that I was already starting to heal faster than I had expected, and it was all because of him.

We soon reached the pasture, and let our horses in. Nephthys and Bata affectionately nudged each other before trotting off together.

"I'm sorry that he did that to you though," Mahado said. "It was cruel of him to act like he was really fond of you when really he was not, and break your heart like that."

I shrugged. "Surprisingly, I'm not that sad about it anymore. He wasn't worth that attention all along, and now I know… I know that I have to be more careful around men, because all they will see is a girl who is the sister of the Prince, and who will one day be the sister of the Pharaoh." The last sentence was filled with resent and anger.

"That's not true! I'm a man, and I see someone who has grown up to be a beautiful woman, the most powerful sorceress in the kingdom, and one of the best healers as well." His words caused me to take a closer look at him. They were not part of the flirty jest of a courtier. They were the honest words of a genuine friend. That was what I liked about Mahado. No matter how much he was growing up and becoming a man, he never lost his integrity.

I smiled. "That means a lot to me Mad, coming from you. And at least you're being yourself again."

Mahado looked at me in surprise. "When have I not been myself?"

"Oh, I don't know," I said sarcastically, "that one night when you were being really quiet, and something was bothering you and you wouldn't tell me, does that seem familiar?" Now I had hit my mark. If I didn't ask it out of him now, I felt that I would never know why he had been acting so strangely.

Mahado blushed. "Jani, listen, I…"

"You…what?"

"I'm sorry that I had acted so strangely. I was…" Mahado inhaled, and then let out a huge sigh. "I was afraid that you had...that you had replaced me with him. Forgive me…I had thought that you would not talk to me now that you had him." His face filled with remorse. He was clearly disgusted with himself for even thinking such thoughts.

I felt my heart fill with guilt as I realized that it was more of my own actions that had caused him to feel bad. "I'm really sorry it would seem so, Mad. I do admit that I had acted like such a fool. But even through all of that, I still considered you to be my best friend. That never changed, Mad. Your friendship means too much for me to just toss it away."

Mahado was at a loss for words. By that time, we had reached the stables again, and Lady Aseneit was there, waiting for me. "Your Highness, it is time for your healing lesson."

I looked at Mahado. He nodded and said, "I shall see you at another time then, Princess Jasana." Upon seeing Lady Aseneit, he had immediately wiped away all confusion and emotion from his face.

Taken aback, I only nodded. I turned and walked away with Lady Aseneit. As I walked away from him, I heard him murmur softly under his breath, "Your friendship means a lot to me too, Jani. It means more to me than you will ever know."

* * *

**1- For a description of akhs, see Chapter 6**

**2- The Official Courtyard refers to the place where all the common people gather on special occasions to see the Pharaoh. I called it the Official Courtyard to avoid confusion with the courtyard where Jasana and the others practice swordfighting, where Mana hides, etc..**

**3- A sistrum was an rattling instrument used on the festivals dedicated to the gods, particularly at a festival that involved Hathor, the goddess of love, beauty that was also associated with music. **

**Thanks for reading! Reviews are always appreciated too! **


	13. Finding my ka

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

* * *

**

I sat in the lotus garden, absorbed in my thoughts. It was only yesterday that I had heard Mahado murmur those words. I supposed that he thought I was out of earshot, but I still heard him. Needless to say, they caused a stir of emotions within me. Chief among these was confusion. _What did he mean? Does it mean that he loves me? No- I mustn't think that, not after what happened with Kanakh. I shall never trust my instincts so easily again…But still, it meant something... _I twirled a white lotus blossom between my fingers as thoughts raced through my head.

Ra's journey had begun only hours ago. I was enjoying a rare moment alone. The lotus garden had been my newfound sanctuary. There was something soothing in the whispers of the water as it flowed into the two long rectangular pools that lay on either side of the garden. There was something peaceful in the sights of the white and blue lotus blossoms that floated idly in the pools. The clever Egyptian engineers had designed the two pools so that water could flow into the pools, and yet it would not be wasted.

I then heard footsteps mingled into the water's whisper. I looked up to see my father standing at the entrance to the garden. I stood up and bowed, surprised to see my father here. _"Should he not be in the throne room, attending to the business of a Pharaoh? Or if not, then would he not be with my brother to mentor him in the ways of the Pharaohs, or something else besides being here with me?" _I asked myself as Father approached me.

"Ra's blessings, Father. What brings you here?" I asked with a rather tentative voice.

"I have come to speak with you, my daughter." I looked at him in surprise. Although he was as regal as always, there was a tiny spark of paternal tenderness in him.

"As you wish then, Father," I said indifferently.

He sat down beside me. "This place is beautiful, is it not?"

"Yes."

"I had this garden built for your mother. She had a soft spot for lotus blossoms, and she often loved to come here at night, when the white lotus blossoms came into full bloom." (1)

"Is that so?" I could not find much else to say to my father, since I rarely spoke to him alone.

"Yes, she and I were close friends for a long time before we were finally married."

"_You were allowed to have a close friend that was a woman, and yet you will not let me have my friendship with Mahado?"_ I fumed angrily in my mind.

"I understand," Father continued gently, "that a close friend can be a great comfort at times, no matter if they are male or female. I have been thinking much of late, and I understand how important your friends are to you, especially since you do not have the love of a mother." He looked knowingly at me. "I also understand that I made a promise to Hathoraset. I promised her that I would raise you as I would raise your brother. I promised her that I would let you have the freedom that every Egyptian woman has: the freedom to be educated and to be as useful to the kingdom as men." He looked away sadly, and then he continued, "Therefore, I will allow you to resume training as a sorceress, but you will also learn the arts of healing as well. While your magical training will occur four times per month, your healing lessons will take place only twice. This is the compromise that I will make with you. That way, you will be able to see Mahado without any concern of impropriety. You will be able to practice with him and your other friends. Does this sound fair to you?"

"Meta would not like this." I refused to believe my father immediately.

"But Meta is not in charge. You must remember, Jasana, that it is I who has the ultimate say in my decisions."

I did not say anything more. After he said that, I allowed myself to be happy. Forgetting all about the earlier awkwardness between the two of us, I flung my arms around him. "Thank you, Father! You don't know how happy this makes me!"

Father wrapped his arms around me. "It is good to see the smile on your face again, Jasana. I know that you have been rather gloomy of late, but I know this will cheer you up. So study hard, because you have the power to become a powerful sorceress, just like your mother." With that, he rose and left.

I continued to twirl the white lotus blossom between my fingers, now contemplating what just happened. Father had just acted fatherly towards me! He was going to let me formally resume my magical studies! Though I supposed that I had been rather gloomy since that one night that I saw Kanakh with his arms wrapped around another girl, that gloom had faded away with the thought that I would soon be able to focus on improving my magic. Then, I would have no time to be sad over Kanakh. I would be too busy learning with Mahado, and maybe Isis and Karim would join us. They still had to learn how to summon their ka, an ability necessary for becoming a Guardian.

My thoughts turned to Mahado again. I conjured a piece of pottery and mentally inscribed on it, "_Mad, I just heard news, the best news! Father has told me that he will let me continue my training as a sorceress! This will at least ensure a way of us seeing each other, and he said that we will be able to practice together too!"_

I slid my ring off my finger and pressed it against the piece of pottery. The words faded, and then I said, "_I command thee to show thyself to Mahado, and only to Mahado." _The piece of pottery then disappeared to do as I said.

After I sent the message to Mahado, my thoughts turned confused again. _Why this sudden change in Father? He never sought to talk to me before. Who knows, perhaps this change means more than I think it does. Maybe it means that he will be more of a father to me now, and then Meta won't be hovering in my face anymore…_

I saw a movement out of the corner of my eye. Someone was standing there. I turned my head to see Kanakh at the entrance to the garden. I unconsciously crushed the white lotus blossom I was holding.

"I wish to be alone. I do not want you intruding on me right now," I said coldly.

"Forgive me, Princess, but I just had to see you. I have been thinking of you constantly. Why the cold greeting? I had thought that the two of us were rather fond of each other."

"Go and chase the skirts of some other girl. How about that one slut you were kissing the other night? That's the one you love. Don't waste your time with me." My voice was a mixture of acid and ice.

"She is not a slut!" Kanakh apparently had said that without intending to say it.

That was all the confirmation I needed. "Get out of my sight. I do not want to see you again."

" I do not know how you found out about Teraset, but I do not love her. It is you that is first in my heart," Kanakh said ardently.

I jumped to my feet in anger. "Get out, NOW!! You better not show your filthy face to me again, or I swear to Aset I will not hesitate to drive a thousand daggers through you, you scoundrel!!" Kanakh silently backed away.

I sat down again, shaking. Now my thoughts were one chaotic storm, each of them contradicting the other.

"_Maybe I should give Kanakh another chance. He is a man after all, and they all act foolishly at one point or another," _a voice in my head said. It was the voice of my heart.

"_No, I heard him the other night. He professed that he totally loved the other girl! I remember how many tears I cried when I saw. Do I really want to go through all of that again?" _Another, more reasonable voice said.

"_But still, he said that he was sorry. I should forgive him. I forgave Mad, didn't I?"_

"_That was because he was deeply sorry, and he didn't even have a need to be sorry! __I __was the one who took offense at his words, he didn't mean any!"_

"_I believe Kanakh was being honest that time. I saw it in his eyes." _

"_There is __**no**__ honesty in him whatsoever. I thought that I had told myself that I would forget completely about him…"_

"Jani, are you all right?" This time it was Mahado who was standing at the entrance to the garden.

I started. I was actually glad to see Mahado. He had broken me out of the storm of thoughts whirling in my head. "I'm perfectly fine, Mad."

"Did I disturb you? I will go if you wish to be alone."

"No, you may stay. I was just wishing for company just now, actually."

Mahado walked closer. "I just received your message. It's wonderful! Are you happy that you will soon be able to learn magic properly again?"

"Yes, I am," I replied, smiling. Mahado's face seemed to soften as I smiled.

Then his gaze drifted to the ground "Wait-what's this?" Mahado picked up the lotus blossom that I had crushed. After Kanakh left, I had dropped it.

"I accidentally crushed it when I was thinking of Kanakh." I did not trust myself to tell him what Kanakh had said.

"What a sorry sight," Mahado commented. He cupped his hand around the crushed blossom, and when he opened his hand, it returned to its original beautiful state. He held the blossom towards me.

"Thank you, Mad." I took the blossom from his warm hand and tucked it behind my left ear.

* * *

"Now, today I will be teaching you about ka summoning," Shimon said as Karim, Shada, Isis, Mahado, and I listened attentively. "Summoning one's ka is very advanced magic, and it is also highly dangerous. Your ka is an extension of yourself, and therefore as long as you live, it too will live. But beware- if your ka is destroyed, then you also will be destroyed with it." I cringed as he said that. "The ka is a creature that is a reflection of your soul. Like men, it can be either evil or good, a creature of light or a creature of darkness. It will feed on your anger and hatred as much as it will feed on your courage, integrity, love, and bravery. Therefore, once you discover your ka, you must be more aware of your thoughts. Many evil men have used their ka to threaten the kingdom. It is necessary to keep control of your ka at all times. The slightest negligence of your thoughts and mind will cause the ka to take control of you." 

I gulped, wondering if I was ready to summon my own ka. Mahado looked at me in a way that clearly said, "_You can do it."_

Shimon held up something that he was wearing on his left arm. It was a golden armband with some wing-like thing attached to it. It unfurled, revealing three wing-like plates.

"What is that?" Shada asked.

"This is called a diadiankh. It is used to summon forth Shadow Creatures. You will also learn how to summon forth creatures that are not your own kas to help and protect the Pharaoh. Only those of the royal family and the Guardians will have this ability."

Shimon then took out his Millennium Key. It glowed as he walked past Karim, Shada, Isis, Mahado, and, finally, me. As I gazed at the Millennium Key, there was this strange sensation of my mind being unlocked. It was as if Shimon was gazing past my face and into my very mind.

"You all have enough magical experience and strength to house a ka in your soul. You only need to learn how to summon it at your own will. Since you are relatively young and have not experienced really traumatizing events that would cause you to harbor hatred or anger, your kas are weak and not dangerous…yet."

"But what if we do not have a ka within our soul?" I asked uncertainly.

"Everyone indeed has a ka, Princess. It is a matter of whether or not you are aware of its presence. Everyone has a ka of some sort, but few ever realize that it's there, and even fewer will learn to harness its power to do their will. Mostly it is the other way around. Most people have kas that are weak and harmless. Only either a vast amount of personal strength or a vast amount of hatred will produce a ka that is powerful enough to be a danger to others." The words "danger to others" made my blood run cold for some reason.

"In order to summon your ka, you need to be able to clear your mind and a clear sense of your own identity. When your mind is perfectly clear, think the words, 'I summon you forth, my ka.' I will give you a brief period of time to clear your mind, and then you will attempt to summon your ka."

Silence then fell over the large room we were in. I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate on clearing my mind. But my thoughts still swam around in my head, I strangely found myself in doubt. _I don't think I can do it, I don't even know what I should name my ka! _

"Shada, I'll have you try first," Shimon said. "It is natural if you fail at first, so don't be nervous."

Shada let out a huge sigh, and closed his eyes in concentration. After a short while, a creature appeared in front of him. The rest of us gasped in amazement.

"Excellent, Shada!" Shimon exclaimed. "Now that your ka has revealed itself, you must give it a name. Calling it forth by name is the key to controlling it."

"I will name thee 'Two-Headed Jackal Warrior'!" Shada stated. The creature roared, and then it disappeared.

Shimon then looked to Karim, and he had to recite the words out loud. "Great ka, I summon thee forth!" he said with complete confidence. His ka immediately appeared beside him. "Thy name is 'Beaver Warrior'."

Isis apparently already knew what to name her ka, for she said, "Spiria, I command thee, come forth!" Her ka, a beautiful blue-skinned winged woman, appeared beside her almost immediately. We all gaped at her ease and comfort in summoning her ka for the first time.

Shimon looked to Mahado, and he closed his eyes in concentration. After a brief period, he opened them. Nothing had happened.

"Try again, Mahado."

Mahado failed again. Then Shimon turned to me. As I closed my eyes, I heard my thoughts ring, _"I'm not going to succeed; I don't even know what my ka looks like!" _With a great effort, I collected my thoughts and said out loud, "I summon thee forth, my ka!"

Nothing happened.

Shimon quizzically scratched his head, and then he said, "Shada, Isis, and Karim, why don't you find someplace else to practice? You have done very well today." Looking rather confused, everyone else left the room, leaving Mahado and me alone with Shimon.

Shimon asked us, "Do you at least know what your ka looks like?"

Mahado shook his head, and I said, "I tried, but I can't even visualize it, and my mind was clear and everything!"

"If you will allow me, I will see into your mind with my Millennium Key." Seeing the doubt on our faces, Shimon continued, "I will not be able to see completely into your mind; your _heka _is so strong that it protects you from falling victim to the full power of the Millennium Items. But I will at least have some idea of what is hindering you, because the two of you should be the last ones having trouble in this."

Shimon held the Key in front of Mahado for a brief period of time, and then he held it before me. A strange sensation filled my mind as I gazed at the glowing Key. I wanted to look away, but it was as if my eyes had been frozen in their sockets.

Then the Key finally stopped glowing, and Shimon told us, "Well, there is some internal conflict in your minds. These conflicts are stirring self-doubt and corroding your confidence. These are not just some trivial issues; these conflicts concern your very natures and personalities."

I looked at Shimon as if he was speaking another language. Mahado was blushing for some mysterious reason.

"What are we to do then?" I asked. I was feeling quite angry and frustrated with myself.

"Tonight, meditate and find out what this conflict is. Only when you find the cause of your internal conflict can you find a way to resolve it. You must resolve these conflicts before your kas will deem you worthy and reveal themselves to you."

With that, Mahado and I were dismissed. I didn't even try to hide my frustration from Mahado. "I've never had any trouble in magic before, so why am I having trouble now?"

"You're not alone, Jani," Mahado said calmly. "I'm struggling just as much as you are.

"I don't even know what could be causing inner turmoil within me!" I said, my frustration rising with each word I said.

"It's completely natural if you feel conflicted given your situation with Meta." But I somehow knew that Meta had nothing to do with this so-called "conflict".

"What about you, Mad? What is your internal conflict?" I asked curiously.

"I think I know what it is; I just don't know how to resolve it," Mahado said, a rather lost and confused look diffusing across his face.

"Why?"

He didn't answer, because then we saw Isis, Karim, and Shada waiting for us.

Isis asked curiously, "Did you manage to summon your ka?"

I shook my head. Karim then said thoughtfully, "Why can't the two of you summon yours? You're the most powerful out of all of us, so you should not be having any trouble, should you?"

Seeing that I was silent, Mahado replied, "We were told that it has nothing to do with our magical capabilities. We are hindered by some internal conflict, a conflict in our minds. We have to resolve these conflicts before we can summon our kas.

Isis turned to me. "What conflict could be so strong that it hinders your abilities?"

"I don't know," I said gloomily.

Then we saw Atem half walking, half running towards us. "Were you able to summon your kas?" He asked eagerly.

Everyone except for Mahado and me nodded their heads. Seeing that Mahado and I didn't react, anxious curiosity spread over Atem's bright face. "Jasana, were you able to summon yours?"

"No," I said. Atem then looked to Mahado, and he shook his head.

"Well that's strange," Atem said thoughtfully, but then he continued in a brighter tone, "but don't feel bad! Everyone gets frustrated and has trouble sometimes. You just need a little more practice, and then you'll get it right."

I managed to smile at Atem's optimism. "You're probably right." But soon fear settled in my mind like a dark cloud, and I felt my heart become heavy as I asked myself, _What will happen if I fail to summon my ka? What if I won't be able to become a sorceress? What will become of me then?

* * *

_

"Jasana, perhaps talking about your conflict will help you to figure out what it is," Isis said softly. The two of us were sitting alone in the lotus garden. The sundial told us that it had been an hour since Mahado and I were dismissed from our session with Shimon. Mahado, Karim, and Shada had gone to attend to their duties as apprentices. Atem was busy learning his lessons.

"I really do not know what could be the cause of it, Isis." I sighed with exasperation.

"Think for a while, Jasana. Perhaps there could be something bothering you, and you do not even realize it, something that has something to do with a particular person…"

"Well, I saw Kanakh this morning," I said slowly. "I was sitting here alone, and suddenly he appeared."

Isis's eyes widened in surprise. "What did he say?"

"He said that it is I who is first in his heart."

"Do you believe him?" From her facial expression, it was clear that Isis was expecting me to say "yes".

"Should I? I don't know. Part of me wants to believe him, but then there's another part of me saying that I should know better!" Confusion rang in every word I said.

Isis gazed at me, reading my face as if she was reading a scroll. "Well, I think that is your internal conflict right there. It is clear that you are confused and lost and do not know what to do."

"So tell me then, what should I do?" I asked.

Isis smiled ruefully. "It is not for me to tell you, Jasana. You will have to decide for yourself. It's a matter of whether you trust him enough to believe him, after everything that he did."

"Isis, I really need your advice on this," I pleaded.

Isis shook her head sympathetically. "This is a personal decision, Jasana. But before you decide, think about this: You saw how he treated the other girl. He said that he loved her, and then they kissed, and did Ra knows what else. You do not know how many other girls he's supposedly 'loved'. Now, when he says that you are first in his heart, you may be at the moment, but for how long? How do you know that he won't forsake you when he sets his eyes on a new girl? He forsook you once, how do you know that he won't do it again? If you think that he is genuinely sorry, and if you decided to forgive him, then do so. But take these questions into consideration, and that is all I can say to you."

Then, a female servant bowed and said, "I beg your pardon for the interruption, Your Highness, but the High Priestess wishes to see the Lady Isis."

I nodded, hardly hearing what the servant said. Isis clasped my hand as her dark blue-gray eyes met mine. "Listen to your heart, Jasana, and you will know what to do." Then she rose and left.

I stood as she walked away, sighing with frustration. I turned and walked down the corridor that lay adjacent to the garden. There was a wall painting of Mother and Father, affectionately handclasped and offering each other a lotus blossom. I stared longingly at my mother in the painting, wishing that she was still alive so that she could help me, and offer me the advice that only a mother can give.

I walked silently to my bedchamber, absorbed in my thoughts. There on the table was the frozen image of Mother and me. In front of it was the lotus blossom that Mahado had given to me, floating in a small bowl filled with water.

"What would you do, Mother?" I asked softly as I settled on my bed, resting my head on my arm.

A warm breeze blew in from the balcony, embracing me as I slowly closed my eyes and fell asleep, escaping from my thoughts to my dreams.

* * *

**1- The lotus blossom in Ancient Egypt was a sign of rebirth and renewal, and there were two kinds of lotuses: the white lotus and the blue lotus. The white lotus blossoms at night and remains open until midday. **

**Thanks for reading! I know this chapter is not perfect, but I wanted to have it up before the weekend ended. I'll proofread it again this coming weekend and fix any mistakes in here. But in the meantime, I would definitely appreciate reviews! I'm sorry if this chapter seems to be fluffy...**


	14. Trials and Resolutions

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh.

* * *

**

_I am walking down a brightly lit corridor, but then I pass by a dark corner, where two men are standing. I cannot clearly see their faces; they are veiled in an ominous mist. I see one hand a bag of coins to the other saying, "Make sure you do this right." The recipient of the coins nods and bows…_

"Jasana, Jasana, wake up!" Isis shook me awake.

"Isis, you just woke me up from a really important dream!" I said grumpily.

Isis smirked as she teased, "I'm sorry if I had interrupted your dream of Mahado."

"I was dreaming nothing of the sort!" I shot back angrily.

Isis wiped the smile from her face as she continued, "Anyway, that is beside the point. I just overheard a conversation that I think you ought to know about."

Something in Isis's expression told me that it wasn't good. "What is it?" I asked nervously.

"I overheard a man mutter something about bribing someone to slip poison in a cup, but I didn't hear who the cup was intended for. The man abruptly stopped talking because then Master Akhnadin came walking by, and I quickly hid behind a pillar so that he would not see me."

"Oh no," I muttered. I quickly got out of bed and ran to the healing room with Isis at my heels. We swiftly gathered ingredients and mixed a universal antidote powerful enough to ward off most poisons.

Then Lady Aseneit walked in. "My Princess! Lady Isis! What brings you here, and why are you mixing an antidote?" she asked, completely surprised.

"I just wanted to have it on hand, in case I should need it at the banquet tonight," I said honestly, expecting her to think me mad.

Lady Aseneit chuckled. "You're hardly in any danger of being poisoned, Your Highness, the kitchens are heavily guarded and supervised. But I guess it could not harm you to be on the safe side." She murmured a final incantation over the antidote and corked it in a small bottle for me. Isis and I thanked her and then returned to my rooms, just in time to get ready for the banquet.

* * *

I sat in my seat at the high table, nervously darting my eyes around the room. As hard as I looked, I did not see anything suspicious. I was too anxious to touch anything on my plate, and I was too scared to even take a sip from my goblet. I sat as rigidly as a statue in my seat and scanned the crowd before me. As I studied the crowd, I clutched the small bottle containing the antidote hidden up my sleeve. 

"Jani is something wrong? You seem to be very uneasy tonight," Mahado murmured to me.

I smiled weakly. "Nothing's wrong. I guess I'm just still frustrated with what happened today."

"Well, don't worry about it too much then, and relax. I know you'll get it in time," Mahado replied assuredly. I smiled, genuinely touched by his words.

Then the room fell silent as a man stood up. I felt myself stiffen in anger as I realized that it was Kanakh. In a clear and audible voice, he said, "With your leave, Your Excellency, I wish to present a poem of my own composing to the lovely Princess."

Father nodded. "You may do so with my permission."

_"What about __my__ permission?!" _I screeched in my head.

I shot Isis a look of panic. Her face was completely expressionless, but her eyes met mine, and she shrugged her shoulders slightly as if to say, "It can't be helped."

Mahado's shoulder gently brushed against mine as he whispered under his breath, "Just stay calm, Jani."

I forced myself to keep a calm composure in front of the entire royal court as Kanakh began his poem:

"How beautiful you are, my lady!

Your beauty shines immortal,

None can compare to you

In your perfect youth eternal.

You walk in the smile of Ra,

Flower of Egypt, Pride of Aset

Smile upon me, O Gentle One of Hathor,

Do not spite me, beloved of Sekhmet (1).

I come before you on my knees

Your humble servant, offering you my heart

Deem me worthy, and I shall be

The happiest of men by far."

The whole court clapped their hands heartily when Kanakh had finished, and I heard many praise him for his skills. I, on the other hand, was trembling with fury. He swept me an effortless bow, and I saw the gaze of the other nobles shift from him to me. It was an extreme moment of tension, as I was in no mood to acknowledge him. I forced a smile and gave him a curt nod as he sat back down. Needless to say, I was definitely not pleased.

Tried as I did, I could not stop trembling. Mahado, who was sitting to my right, gently touched my arm. "Don't think of it, Jani, it's no use to be so angry at him."

I lifted my eyes to meet Mahado's. His warm eyes and the intensity of his stare made me blush. I then stared at my lap. "I just can't believe he would have the nerve to keep up this pretense of his," I said in a low and bitter voice.

Mahado made a move to say something, but before he could utter a single word, someone exclaimed, "My Prince!" I whirled my head around to look at Atem. He was deathly pale, and he was breathing hard.

Father rushed to his side, and I followed suit. "What's wrong, Atem?" I asked worriedly.

Atem whispered hoarsely, "I feel faint." Then he fell sideways into my arms, tipping a goblet over in the process. The whole court stirred in panic, and I instantly knew what had happened.

"Mahado, quick! Hold him!" I cried. I passed Atem into Mahado's arms, and then I took out the small glass vial holding the antidote I brewed. With my hands shaking, I uncorked the bottle and poured the antidote down Atem's throat, pleading, "_Please, Aset, please tell me that it's not too late. Atem can't die, he just can't…"

* * *

_

Atem was immediately taken to the medical wing. Lady Aseneit examined him, and then reported to my father and me, "It was lucky that the Princess had that antidote on hand, because if it was given to him a little bit later, then it would have been too late." I felt my heart skip a beat as she said that. "The poison used was extremely powerful and potent. The Princess has very accurate instincts." Lady Aseneit glanced at me in an admirable manner.

"What do you mean?" Father asked.

"Before the banquet, I saw her in the healing room mixing the antidote, along with the Lady Isis. She told me that she sensed that she would have need of it. It turns out that she was right."

"Thank you, Lady Aseneit, you may go." Father waved her away, and she bowed and left. I gazed nervously at Atem, praying fervently that I had indeed saved him, and that he would be all right.

"Did you dream of this, Daughter?" Father asked, his voice completely expressionless.

"No, I did not," I replied, keeping my eyes on the ground at my feet.

"Then how could you have known of the poison?" I raised my eyes to meet Father's face. I was startled to see the coldness in his eyes.

" Well, I did have a dream, Father, but I only saw one man passing a bag of coins to another and saying, 'Make sure you do this right.' It did not relate to the poisoning exactly. I cannot dream and see into the future at my own will. I knew because Isis told me that she overheard a man talking about poisoning someone."

Father didn't say anything more and left the room. I turned and looked at his retreating back, hoping that he at least would say something more to me. As he walked away, I heard him murmur to someone, "Set spies on all of the nobles of the lower court. I want to know who has tried to poison my son."

I fixed my worried gaze on Atem. His breathing was ragged; it was as if he was struggling for breath. I tenderly brushed a lock of his hair away from his face and sat down at his bedside. As I moved to clasp his hand with both of mine, I felt myself trembling again. The poisoned cup could have easily come to me, or Mahado, or any of the Guardians. It could have even been intended for Father himself…

Father's reaction left me unsettled. He did not commend me for saving my own brother's life, he did not even say a thing to me except for that question on whether I had dreamed of this incident or not. Though I should not have expected praise from Father in this troublesome moment, I was still childish enough to think that I at least deserved one kind word from him, one word of appreciation…

"_Who could have done such a thing? Whoever this person is, I know that they are no friend of Atem, and therefore no friend of mine," _I thought to myself

I had been sitting by Atem's bedside for almost an hour when I heard footsteps approaching the doorway. I jerked my head around, thinking that perhaps Atem's attacker had come to finish the job. Instead, I saw Mahado, holding a bowl of soup and a crust of bread on a tray.

"I've brought you some soup, Jani," Mahado said as he walked closer. "You haven't eaten anything for the entire night!"

"I'm not really hungry, Mad," I said feebly.

"It would do you some good Jani," Mahado murmured in a gently persuasive manner. "It's duck soup, your favorite."

"Have you eaten anything, Mad?" I asked, still not making a move toward the tray he held towards me.

"Yes, I ate a little," Mahado said. "But you didn't touch anything on your plate during the entire banquet."

I looked at the duck soup, and I realized how hungry I really was. And the soup did smell really good. "Fine, but I'll only eat if you eat the crust of bread. If I eat, you have to eat something too."

Mahado nodded. "Fair enough." We ate in silence, and I often stared worriedly at Atem.

Mahado, seeing the look on my face, said gently, "The Prince will be all right, Jani, and it's all because of you."

"I hope so," I replied grimly. "But I still want to know who tried to poison him, and why."

"Everyone is aching to know, and I'm sure they will find out soon enough. Once they find the person that tried to poison the Prince, they will punish him to the fullest extent. You need not worry, Jani."

"He's my brother, Mad. I can't help but worry for him. He's the one that is to inherit the throne, not I. Whether or not his life is in the safest hands in the entire kingdom, it makes no difference. I will always fear for his life, just as I had feared for the life of my mother, and just as I fear for the lives of all the others that I love."

Mahado and I then sat in silence for a while, watching as Atem slept soundly, his breathing slowly returning to a stronger, more even pace.

After a while, Mahado said, "The Pharaoh bid me to stay here for the night, Jani, so you need not stay. You may retire to your chambers if you wish."

I shook my head. "I'm just as devoted to Atem as you are; I won't leave until he wakes and I see for myself that he will be all right."

The two of us kept a silent vigil by Atem's bedside. As the time passed, my eyelids became heavier and heavier. Then I soon occasionally dozed off, leaning into Mahado's shoulder. Mahado conjured a pallet by Atem's bed, and gently laid me down on it. I stirred in protest, but then Mahado whispered soothingly into my ear, "Sleep, Jani, I will keep watch over him." I finally fell asleep.

As I slept, I thought that I felt Mahado gently pull the blanket over my shoulders at one time. While doing so, his hand brushed against my shoulder.

I also stirred softly when some time later, I heard Nebatet's soft voice say, "Mahado, my son, if you love her, then you must tell her."

"How did you know, Mother?"

Nebatet chuckled gently. "An observant mother will always know what her son is thinking, by reading his face. I saw how you resented the attention Kanakh paid to her, and I saw how envious you were when it seemed that she favored him over you. It is clear from the way you look at her; from the way you treat her. Do you not think that I know my own son well enough to tell what he's thinking?"

"But I'm not ready yet, Mother," Mahado whispered tentatively.

"You are always so hesitant, Mahado, and so passive. But if you love her, then she deserves to know." Nebatet's voice flowed as smoothly as water.

"You are right, Mother, you always are. I do love her, I always have. And when the time is right, I will tell her so," Mahado said in a determined voice.

"Be careful lest the right time comes and goes even without your knowledge," Nebatet warned in her low voice. That is all that I remember of the conversation. I had been half asleep the entire time, and when I awoke, I dismissed it as being just a dream, just wishful thinking on my part.

* * *

The next afternoon, I was sitting alone with Atem when two guards arrived and said, "Your Highness, you are commanded to the throne room at once by the order of the Pharaoh." 

There was something ominous in their stance and in their tone. "What is the meaning of this?" I asked imperiously.

"His Excellency would like to interrogate you on a few matters."

I rose reluctantly, looking at Atem.

"The Lady Aseneit will keep watch while you are gone, Your Highness," one of the guards stated, his face like stone.

I had no choice but to go with them, my heart filling with anxious confusion. _What does Father want to ask me about? Surely he doesn't want to ask me if I had poisoned my own brother! The very thought in itself is outrageous!_

The guards tapped their spears on the ground and one of them announced loudly, "Her Highness, Princess Sahm-Aset." I stiffened at the sound of that name. _"Surely Father would have commanded the guards to address me by my __proper__ name now, would he not?"_ I thought in frustration. The doors opened, and I swept into the throne hall. Meta was standing next to the throne, and my uncle was standing on the other side. I felt angered at the sight of Meta standing so closely to my father. She had no right to claim a spot next to the throne, as an adviser of Father. Isis passed out of the hall as I entered, and I caught a brief glimpse of her frightened eyes.

I bowed and awaited Father's address.

"Jasana, as you would know, your brother was poisoned last night."

"I am aware of that, Father," I said steadily.

"Such impertinence may be a habit on your part, Princess Sahm-Aset, but it is most unbecoming to show it in front of your father," Meta said strictly. She carried herself as if she had the authority of a mother over me. My insides flared with hatred for her.

"I merely stated that I am aware that my brother was poisoned," I said with a slight edge to my voice.

"I would like to ask you if you are acquainted with a man named Amenetjer." Father gaze on me made me feel as if I had just committed a horrible crime. I felt myself tremble under the coldness of his gaze and the ice in his voice.

"I am not acquainted with such a man. Why would I be?" I asked, trying to remember all that I had learned in royal etiquette from Nebatet and to keep an outward composure of serenity. "Who is this man, if I may ask?"

"He is the one behind a most treasonous plot. It was his plot to kill Atem, marry you, and then become Regent and seize the throne. He insisted that you knew of the plan and gave it your consent. Is this true?"

"I cannot admit a truth if that truth does not exist Father." My voice was steady, but inside I was getting ready to crumble. "Remember that it is I who saved him, with assistance from Isis. Surely you know that I am Atem's most loyal servant, and that I would die before I saw any harm to him, and I would kill gladly kill myself before I myself did him any harm."

"My lord and king, I advise the utmost caution. In this case, it is wise to deem anyone a suspect, even if that includes one that loves Atem as much as the Princess does. For it is possible that though she may pretend to be loyal to Atem, she may be secretly plotting for the throne." Meta's eyes shone with an evil glint as she glanced at me.

I wanted with all my heart to throw myself at Meta, but that would just make things worse. My voice cracking now, and tears running down my face, I said, "For shame Father, do you not trust me? Do you not know that I made a promise to Mother, and that I will keep it even if it costs me my life? If you believe that I had attempted to poison my own brother, I might as well just take my life right here. Have you honestly no idea of who I am? If you did, then you would know that I would never kill anyone, unless they proved a threat to Atem, to my friends, or to you, my dear Father. I love Atem, and I love you! How can you even think such a thought about me?" At this I lost my composure and sank to the ground in sobs. Akhnadin walked down from beside the throne and helped me to my feet. At that moment, Nebatet walked in, blazing in fury.

"How dare you, Meta! How dare you even suggest that the Princess could commit such a crime! You, who claims to know the Princess so well! You, who sought to look after her as a mother! No mother would dare to say such horrible thoughts for one they regard as a daughter, only a snake and a wench would! That's no surprise, seeing as that you're both."

"That's enough! Nebatet, I shall have a talk with you." Father was standing now, raising his hand in an authoritative gesture.

Meta protested. "She is not to be trusted, my king! If ever there was to be a co-conspirator the Princess would choose, it would be her, and Isis as well."

"Nevertheless, I will hear her side of the matter, as a just king would. Leave us." Akhnadin escorted me out, and Meta walked behind us.

I immediately ran towards Meta, but Akhnadin held me back. Meta and I held each other in a death stare, and then Meta smiled maliciously before walking away.

Until that point, I only thought that Meta wanted power over me, to make me her puppet, and this was to be her revenge against my mother. But what she said made me realize that she wanted more power in her grasp. She wanted to discredit me in front of the entire kingdom, she wanted to bring me down, and then what would happen? Nebatet would be discredited too, and then care of Atem would be stripped from her and given to Meta. _But what if Atem had died, and I was accused of poisoning him? Then I would certainly have been put to death, and then Father would have no heirs left. Then he would have to make a new heir, and therefore take on a new woman to be his Queen…Oh Ra, she wants the throne of Egypt! _I gasped in shock, and I clung to Akhnadin's arm for support.

"What is it, Jasana?" Akhnadin asked gently.

But I was too horrified at my own thoughts to tell them to him.

* * *

Akhnadin let me return to Atem's room in the medical wing on my own. As I made my way there, I saw someone standing in the corner. It was Kanakh. I stiffened in fury and anger, determined not to let him into my heart. 

"Get out of my way."

"What has disturbed you, Princess? Did you not like my poem last night?"

"I would have liked it had there been some honesty in it," I said fiercely.

"Those words were the words of my heart!" He spoke ardently. To me, it was mock ardor.

I laughed bitterly. "Well then, your heart is as deceitful as your tongue."

"Please, Princess, give me another chance."

"Why should I? You don't know me, you don't even understand me! That poem proved everything! You say that I walk in Ra's smile, but you obviously do not see me when I am veiled in shadows. You only see me when ocher adorns my cheeks and I am dressed in the finest linen with the scent of the finest perfume in my wake. Tell me- do I look so beautiful now, with my face streaked with tears, my face covered in fury, and dressed in simple clothes? Do I look so gentle now?" Kanakh's guilty expression made me even angrier. "Tell me; are you another pretender for the throne? I heard you the other night, you wanted only to gain power through me, like so many other men, you wish to shame me before Egypt! Well, I shall not fall victim to your schemes, or the schemes of any other man!"

"How do you even know about Teraset, and what I said?"

I became so angry that I could feel the heat steaming from my head. "You forget who I am! You don't even know that I am a powerful sorceress in my own right! See, you love my position, but you will never understand me when I am angry, as I am now, or when I am agitated and confused. You do not love me for who I am, it is all clear now. You and all other men! All I ever will be to you is just an instrument to use to gain power; the girl that you clearly love is that one- Teraset, is that what you call her? Go and have her for all I care. Go and get a damned life with her, and out of mine."

"You are clearly distressed, and do not know what you say!" Kanakh exclaimed, deeply troubled.

"But see- you do not deny anything I just said! And that makes it clear to me now, what I must do." I instantly conjured a thousand daggers to my side.

Kanakh started to fall to his knees. "Princess…"

"I have warned you before, and I will tell you now," I stated coldly. "Either you get your filthy face out of my sight, or I will not hesitate to kill you with these daggers, and I will tell everyone that you threatened me, and they shall think it right that I killed you."

"You do not mean what you are saying," Kanakh said feebly. I immediately conjured a piece of pottery and struck my arm out. A single dagger slashed through the chunk of pottery, and it crumbled into tiny pieces upon the impact. Kanakh's face fell. He immediately clambered up and ran away.

I sat on a bench, heaving. The conversation that had just happened had taken a huge mental toll on me, and I was even surprised at myself for the things I said. Kanakh had been partially right; I had let my anger take control of me, but I did not regret the things that I just said, for they were true, of him, and of the man that had tried to poison Atem. I realized at that moment that most men could not see me first and foremost as a woman named Jasana if they saw me as Princess Sahm-Aset, the Princess connected to the throne of Horus.

Suddenly there was a stream of bright light before me. I had to shield my eyes from the brightness. A beautiful woman clothed in robes of a brilliant blue stood before me. Her hair shone as brightly as gold, her skin was as white as the light that surrounded her, and her turquoise eyes looked into mine. I immediately understood who she was. She was my ka.

I smiled. "You are my ka," I said to the woman, and she nodded. "I shall name you 'Empress Witch'."

"That is a fine name," Mahado said from behind me, his eyes glowing with gentle warmth.

I nodded, smiling faintly. But then the strain of the moment overwhelmed me, and I burst into tears. Mahado sat down beside me and put an arm around my shoulder.

"It's useless, Mad. The person who tried to poison Atem was plotting to marry me and take the throne. You were right. Everyone that wants to marry me will only want me because I am in line to rule if anything should happen to Atem," I said as the tears poured down my face.

"Unfortunately, that is the way of most men, Jani," Mahado said sympathetically.

"But I still want to marry, Mad," I said, sobbing harder. "But I don't want to marry someone who only sees me as the Princess. I want to marry someone who loves me as who I am." Wiping my tears away, I suddenly became firm. "Yes, now I know what I want. I will not marry until I find a man that I love completely for himself, and until I find someone who will love me and accept me for who I am. I will not settle for an arranged marriage without love, even if I must forfeit my own power to find that love."

"I'm sure that you will find that love," Mahado said.

"But I'm not so sure, Mad. That man who tried to kill Atem hardly even knew who I was! I was nothing to that man but a ticket to power, and I know that I am just that to so many other men as well."

"But you are not to me!" Mahado said earnestly. I looked at him. His face was filled with pain, and he looked like he was about to tell me something else. But then his arm quickly left my shoulder, and he composed himself as a guard walked in and bowed before us.

"Pardon the interruption, Your Highness and Lord Mahado, but the Prince has awakened, and he bid me to come and find you."

Mahado and I rose, and I turned to him. "Let's go then," I said rather awkwardly.

Mahado shook his head. "You can go ahead, Princess Jasana. I will visit the Prince later; my uncle has summoned me." His face had become blank in the course of a second.

I then had no choice but to bow my head to him in farewell and follow the guard without another word, for the guard could have been a spy for all I knew. As I walked away, I glanced back out of the corner of my eye and I saw him watching me go, his face once again filled with that pitifully pained expression.

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**1- Sekhmet was mainly the goddess of war, but she was also the patron of physicians and healers. Her name means "Powerful One", and she is considered to be the opposite form of Hathor, the goddess of love, beauty, and music. While Hathor is depicted as being gentle, Sekhmet is the wrathful one, dealing punishment to her enemies. **

**Thanks for reading, and please don't forget to review! I really would appreciate feedback. **


	15. Road to Recovery and a New Horizon

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh **

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Upon returning to the room where Atem was staying, I saw Isis sitting at Atem's bedside. Once she saw me, she rose, bowed before Atem, and strode out with a quick smile for me. When she was gone, Atem smiled weakly and whispered, "Sister! You've returned…" I took the seat that Isis had just left and clasped the hand that he held out toward me. I was relieved to see that he could at least sit up in bed, though he was still quite weak.

"How are you feeling?" I asked him with the concern of a mother.

"Better. When can I go back to my rooms and continue with all of my lessons? I could be mastering the gallop by now!"

I shook my head at his impatience. "Slow down there, Little Brother. You have a long journey of recovery ahead of you before you can even mount a horse again. It will be at least seven more days."

"But why? What happened? All I remember is taking a sip, and then I fell and everything went black."

"You were poisoned," I said simply, thinking that there was no use in hiding the truth from him.

Atem's face fell into a grave expression. "Yes, now I remember that. It must have been poison, what else could it have been?" he said slowly. Then his eyes filled with fear as he asked me, "I almost died, didn't I?"

My silence confirmed that.

"Who did this to me?" The hurt in Atem's voice made me want to cry.

I swallowed the lump of tears in my throat and said, "I don't know." It was not that I did not want to tell Atem the name of his attacker; I did not want to think about how the plot had involved me.

"Oh," Atem said solemnly. Then, after a moment of silence, he continued, "But you saved me, didn't you, Jani?"

"Yes," I replied, tears starting to my eyes, "Isis did too. If it was not for her, I would not have been able to save you."

"I owe the two of you my life." Then he saw that my eyes were filled with tears, and then he asked tenderly, "Why are you crying, Sister?"

"It's nothing. I was just so worried about you… I was so scared that you were gone for good." I wiped away the few tears that were streaming down my cheeks.

Atem sweetly reached out his hand and wiped away one of my tears. "Well, I'm fine now, Jani, thanks to you," he said optimistically.

I managed to smile as he said that, and then he turned his glance towards the doorway and exclaimed, "Mahado!" I turned my head to see Mahado standing in the doorway. He bowed deeply as if it was too great an honor for Atem to address him thusly. The pained expression from his face was gone, and his eyes were once again glowing with a soft light as they met mine.

"Shall I stay here with you," I asked Atem, "or would you like to have a word alone with Mahado?"

"You can stay or go as you wish, Sister," Atem said meekly. "I would like to talk with Mahado, but I won't send you away because of it."

"I'll go and leave the two of you alone," I replied, becoming aware of Mahado's gaze on my face. "I want to find Isis and have a few words with her."

"Very well then," Atem said gaily. "But you'll come back, won't you?"

"Of course. I will come back as soon as I'm done talking with her." I rose, but then I sat back down on the edge of the bed and said, "But before I go, there's something I want to say."

Curiosity lit Atem's eyes. "Say it then."

"I want you to know that I promised Mother that I would look after you, and I will do everything in my power to make sure that nothing happens to you. I will never do you harm, and know that I would much rather die than turn against you."

Atem was clearly puzzled at what I said, but then he smiled and said confidently, "I know that, Jani." My heart lifted at his confidence in me. If my own father did not trust me with his son's life, then at least Atem trusted me with his own.

I squeezed his hand one last time, and then with a quick smile and nod to Mahado, I left the room to find Isis.

I found Isis sitting in the lotus garden, admiring the reflection of the blue lotuses in the water. She turned to face me as I walked in. Upon seeing the distress on my face, she asked, "What's wrong?"

"I found out about the plot to marry me and to kill Atem," I said, my voice trembling slightly.

"Ah." Isis pulled me into an embrace. "But you know that it's not true, Jasana."

"But my own father doesn't!" I burst out. "He was actually about to believe everything that man said!"

"But what's important is that you know that it is not true, your brother knows that it is not true, and so do Mahado, Karim, Shada, and I. And we are all willing to testify for you should it come to that."

"It makes me angry, Isis," I said bitterly. "It makes me SO angry, to think that my own father does not trust me, and that a man would only use me as a ticket to gain power. Really, am I just to be seen by all men as a weapon to gain the throne of Egypt? Is that what I am destined to be, to be my own brother's undoing?"

"Not if you can help it," Isis said determinedly. "And I will have you know that not ALL men think of you as a key to the throne. What about Mahado? I know that whatever he feels about you, he certainly does not see you as such. You are a dear friend to him, in fact, no matter what his affections for you may be, you are his dearest friend."

My face slowly spread into a smile. "Yes, I know that, Isis, and that is what I appreciate about him. No matter what, I know that he, at least, is genuine." I was silent for a while as I thought about what Isis said. Then I changed the subject. "But why were you in the throne room? Did Father summon you?"

"Yes," Isis said simply.

"Well? What did he say?"

"He wished to know if I had been your accomplice in poisoning the Prince."

"WHAT!" I yelped. I rose to my feet and turned to face her.

"But you do not need to worry, Jasana. I swore with Aset as my witness that you were merely trying to help to save the Prince, and I had only overheard someone speak of the plot, I was not involved in the plot myself. Your father seemed to believe me, and your uncle vouched for me." Isis's face betrayed no emotion as she said that.

I sighed. "It's unsettling, Isis," I murmured. "When I was in there, Meta told Father that I was not to be trusted, that for all he knew, I could be contending for the throne, though I appear to be devoted to Atem."

"That's not surprising," Isis said shortly. "Meta has always been deceitful and manipulative. Why should it alarm you so?"

"What if Father believed her or what if, somehow, I was proven to be a part of the plot against Atem? And what if Atem had died? Do you know what that means?" Isis looked at me in confused silence. "If that had happened, I would surely be put to death, and then Father would have no heirs left. And we all know that Father must have an heir. If the two of us should die, who would he get his heirs from?"

"That is impossible; the Queen is dead!" Isis exclaimed, still not knowing where I was going.

"But Father still has the power to marry again," I said, lowering my voice to barely above a whisper. "If Atem and I are gone, then he will certainly be pushed to marry someone and make her his new Queen. Who do we know of would almost give anything to sit on the throne? Someone who hated my mother because she was the Queen?"

"Meta!" Isis's eyes widened. "But surely, Meta wouldn't aim so high-"

"She most certainly would. Think about it, Isis, and see the logic in this. Why else would Meta seek to look after me and be in charge of me, and yet seek to bring me down as she clearly did just now? It's simple- She wishes to discredit me, and by being my caretaker, it will appear that she knows me best, and therefore she will be completely credible. If Atem had indeed died, then I bet that she would find a way to lay the blame on me, and within a second I would be caught and executed, and then she would find a way to get married to Father, and therefore be the Queen of Egypt. Meta is the closest woman to him now; do you not see how logical this seems?"

"But there's one flaw. The Prince is still alive," Isis said smoothly.

"Only because you had the luck to have overheard of the plot," I pointed out with accuracy as sharp as an arrow.

"But that's it, Jasana; I could only have heard it because Aset and the gods willed me to. That means that they are on our side, and they are protecting your brother," Isis replied gently. "Remember, your father is of the Line of Horus, and therefore you are a daughter of Aset, and the Prince is a Son of Horus. Surely Aset would not let such a thing happen to her own daughter? She is the protectoress of the throne, and therefore she protects you."

"That as may be, I'm still not feeling any better," I said flatly. "I have a strange feeling that though Atem may have escaped Death, it still lurks about the palace, and He will not leave until he has taken someone. The poisoning was just a foretaste of what is to come. Things are going to happen; everything is going to be different now, and I do not like it."

Isis closed her eyes for a while. "Yes, I agree with you; I sense it too.'

Isis grimly stared at the beautiful lotus blossoms, floating innocently in the water. I sat tensely, absorbed in my thoughts, trying to make sense of the ominous cloud that seemed to hang over all of us.

Atem took eight days to fully recover and get out of bed. I stayed by his side when I wasn't busy learning magic and the arts of healing. Father also called me in to observe him perform the duties of a Pharaoh; he had said to me that in the light of current events, it dawned upon him that perhaps I too should observe and learn the ways of a ruler. If anything should happen to Atem, then I would have to rule in his stead. When he told me that, I had merely bowed my head and murmured that I would be most honored to be by the side of the throne.

But when I told him so, it felt like I was a puppet, and my master was forcing me to say those words. I did not take it lightly that he had actually considered that I could be a part of a plot to kill Atem. After that inquiry in the throne hall, I did not speak with him again until he summoned me to take Atem's place in learning the duties of a Pharaoh. Though Nebatet had convinced him that I had played no part in the plot, it did not matter. That display of mistrust had opened the gap between us even more, and it felt like there was no way of closing it. He had not apologized for not trusting me, and I had no intention of forgiving him.

While Atem was recovering, Father was holding hearings concerning the would-be assassin. It was determined that the man, Amenetjer, would be put to death by decapitation. And so, seven days after Atem had fully recovered, it was done. The whole court watched as he was led out in shame. Common citizens from the city noisily crowded against each other, craning for a view of the condemned man. The nobles murmured among themselves as they watched him pass by; some of the women were weeping, and others stood as emotionless and erect as statues. Father sat stiffly on a throne that had been brought into the punishment yard and raised on a wooden platform. Atem and I stood to Father's left, and the Guardians and their apprentices stood to his right. I felt faint and sickly in the afternoon heat, but I was more worried about Atem. He had not eaten much since he had recovered; he was terribly thin and pale. I thought that it was cruel of Father to make him witness the death of his attacker. He was only eight years old, and too young to witness such a thing.

I tried not to look at the man that was moments away from death, but I could not help myself. I was sure that he had been among the nobles that I had learned writing with when I was younger, but I never had anything to do with him. It made me shudder with terror to think that I had almost been dragged to the block with him.

The man laid his head on the block in silence, refusing to say anything- not a final request of mercy from the gods, nothing. The executioner raised his sword. It hung in the air for a moment, glinting brightly in Ra's light, and then it came down as I shut my eyes. When I opened them the deed had been done, but it was still a gory sight, and I nearly gagged as I saw the blood. My knees felt weak, but I still managed to keep standing. I turned my head to look at my brother. He was shaking, and his eyes were filling with tears. I weakly touched him on the shoulder, and he leaned his head against me. My father regally walked off the platform, and we slowly followed him.

As I walked, I felt weaker and weaker. Suddenly, my hand dropped from Atem's shoulder, and I fainted backward.

"Jani!" Mahado cried as he caught me, forgetting all about royal protocol. Isis, Karim, Nebatet, and Atem knelt down by my side. "Are you all right?" Mahado asked.

Nebatet put a cool hand to my forehead. "She's faint from the heat," she said. "It would be best if she was brought to my room, Your Excellency," she told my father. "I will take care of her."

"With your leave, Your Excellency," a cold and unfamiliar voice said, "I will carry the Princess in; I believe I am a stronger man than Lord Mahado." I looked up to see a pair of bright blue eyes as hard as the lapis lazuli in Mother's necklace. They belonged to a tall man wearing a blue headdress and in blue robes. He carried himself arrogantly; it was as if he was a prince born and bred.

"With all due respect, Lord Seto," Nebatet interjected levelly, "it would be most improper for a stranger to go a lady's bedchambers; it is not the ways of the court. Since Mahado is my son, it is only right for him to carry the Princess to my rooms."

"I do not see how Mahado's catching the Princess as he did just now and addressing her informally is proper," Seto retorted politely. Isis gasped at Seto's boldness.

"That's enough," Akhnadin said sharply. "The most important thing right now is for the Princess to be attended to. Nebatet, I know that you and Mahado will take care of her." Father nodded his assent, and Mahado gently scooped me up in his arms and carried me away, with Nebatet walking in front of us.

I could not explain the feeling that was surging through me as I was in Mahado's arms. I felt completely safe and secure as he held me, and it was a moment that I wanted to last forever.

But no matter how long I wanted it to last, it only lasted until a short while later when Mahado set me down on the bed in Nebatet's bedchamber. Nebatet affectionately stroked his shoulder in thanks before dismissing him. She wetted a cloth with water and put it to my forehead.

"You really need to relax, dear Jasana," Nebatet said. "You have been on edge ever since that night that Atem was poisoned. If I may ask, what has been disturbing you of late? Did it have anything to do with that man that died today?"

"I suppose that I have been rather nervous since that night; I am disturbed because my own father thought that I would turn against my brother, and I could have gone to the block with that man," I said, choking on the last phrase.

"What makes you think that?" Nebatet asked curiously. "You would have never been found guilty in that plot, Jasana, it makes no sense for you to save your brother when you had intended to kill him."

"But there's something else that has been disturbing me," I said faintly.

"Tell me then."

"Meta told Father that I was not to be trusted. Why would she seek to care for me and bring me down at the same time? What would have happened if Atem had indeed died, and I was somehow framed for the crime? I would be put to death, and then Father would have no heirs left. He would have to remarry, and what if Meta somehow schemed to be the woman he chose? Then she would be the Queen of Egypt, as she has always wanted to be." The train of thought spilled out of me faster than I had intended. After I said it, I immediately regretted my imprudence at saying such a thing, but I knew that I could trust Nebatet to understand this genuine fear of mine.

Nebatet's gray eyes scanned my face for a long time, her white face absorbed in her own thoughts. Then she slowly said, "Though that is a very plausible concern of yours, my dear, I highly doubt that many will believe it. Do not misunderstand me, I believe you, I truly do. I am sure that your friends will believe you too, but, unfortunately, your father will not. Most of the court will not; to the best of their knowledge, Meta has been the one that has been trying to care for you, and not me. If Meta could, she would have taken this role of mine from me from the moment Hathoraset died, but your father knows that Hathoraset expressly wished that I would become your guardian. But there is a reason to why he's had Meta beside him ever since your mother died. However, this is not the time to tell you what that reason is. You will find out by yourself when the time is right."

"But Nebatet," I replied, being almost childish, "what if it's true? By the time we realize that what I think is going to happen is actually happening, then it will be too late!"

Nebatet wrapped her loving arms around me. "Fear not, for as long as I am here, I will protect you, and the Prince as well. Aset will watch over you, and Hathor, and all the other gods and goddesses as well. They always watched over your mother, and they will also watch over you."

Isis had said those words, but I foolishly doubted the power of the gods. I knew that Aset had given me special magical abilities, but I didn't think that she and the other gods would concern themselves with me. They had all of Egypt to watch over, they were certainly too busy to concern themselves with how I was feeling, and the danger I was in. Therefore, I found little comfort in what Nebatet said about the protection of the gods. They did not protect my mother from death; how could I be sure that they would protect me and my brother from Death's grasp?

When I was feeling better, I left Nebatet's rooms to go to my own. As I walked along, I saw Atem sitting on a bench in one of the smaller gardens of the palace. He looked like he was really disturbed and traumatized. I swiftly approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He forlornly looked up at me.

"What's wrong, Atem?" I asked gently.

Tears filled Atem's eyes, and he said in a broken voice, "He didn't deserve to die; not even a criminal like him deserved that kind of fate."

I soothingly stroked Atem's hair. "Oh my brother," I said softly, "you must know that there is no action without a reaction. If you do something good, you shall be rewarded in your own way. Likewise, if you do something evil, as that man did, then you will be punished. He tried to kill you, and for that he had to die."

"But why? Why not just keep him in prison for life? It wasn't right to just take his life." Atem was sobbing now.

"Oh dear," I muttered under my breath. I had been afraid that Atem would take it like this. He was only eight years old, after all. I remembered asking myself about why Mother had to die when that had happened.

"To have order in the kingdom, rules need to be set, and then they must be carried out. To have rules and to not enforce them would bring chaos, and eventually this chaos will bring down the kingdom. It is the way of things, Atem."

"What if that man was Father's dear friend? Would he have faced the same fate then?"

"Yes," I replied, trying to be as gentle as possible. "The laws apply to everyone in the kingdom, even me."

"But what of me?" Atem asked.

"If you do something very horrible, then Father will indeed punish you, but that is only for a very serious crime, and I know that you will never do such a thing. When you are king, you will have to set the rules, and then those rules shall not apply to you."

Atem tried to wipe away some of his tears. "Father told me that you were involved in the plot too, Sister. He said that the man wanted to poison me and marry you so that he could rule the kingdom." He started crying again and hugged me even tighter. :"But I-I…know t-that you w-would never d-do that… to me."

"No," I said firmly, "I would not."

"Father didn't believe you, did he? But know this, Sister, I do."

"I really appreciate your faith in me," I said.

Just then Mahado approached us, but then he checked on the sight of Atem's tearstained face. He looked inquiringly at me, and he only came closer when I nodded my head. "My Prince, Master Akhnadin bid me to tell you that it is time to go to the stables and ride. He is letting you ride with the rest of us today. And Jani, you may come, if you feel well enough, that is."

"I shall ride today. Thank you, Mad." Then I turned to Atem. "Come on, Atem, let's go. I shall ask Uncle Akhnadin to let you try wielding a sword at the gallop today, just to get the feel of it."

Atem immediately cheered up. "Really?"

I laughed. "Yes"

"Well then, let's go!" Atem cried. He immediately got up and ran towards the stable. I laughed at his sudden enthusiasm, and I would have run along with him, but Mahado caught my arm and held me back.

"Maybe you shouldn't ride, Jani, you just fainted hours ago."

I defiantly tossed my head to the side, flipping my hair over my shoulder. "That was hours ago, Mad, I'm perfectly fine now." Then I realized that I was still wearing the dress that I had worn that morning. "But I have to change my dress first," I said exasperatedly. "Go ahead and tell Atem and the others to wait for me, I'll change as fast as I can."

Mahado smiled warmly. "I'll tack up Nephthys for you." Without another word, I ran to my bedchamber.

"Watch this, Sister!" Atem yelled. I walked Nephthys around the arena as I watched Atem and his horse charge toward a wooden pole. With one quick stroke Atem sliced through the pole.

"Very well done, Brother!" I called back. Isis pulled up her horse to walk beside mine, and Karim and Mahado were riding behind us. I noticed that we had a new member in our group: the young man with the cold blue eyes that was extremely arrogant. The rest of us remembered what he had said in the morning, so we were not extremely inclined to befriend him.

Soon Akhnadin walked out on his own horse. "Jasana, you and the others shall be free to practice by yourselves; I shall privately tutor Lord Seto." He gestured to the newcomer. "I shall trust you to watch over your brother."

"Yes, Uncle," I said obediently. Akhnadin's extreme interest in Seto surprised and intrigued me.

"Master Akhnadin," the man named Seto said in a dry voice, "I am perfectly capable of practicing with the Princess and the Prince and their…" he paused and scanned over Mahado, Isis, Karim, and Shada with disdain, "…companions. I've been riding ever since I was a young boy of five, and I am just as experienced as everyone here."

"Even so, it would be better if you practice with me privately, just for this time. We shall see where you are at," Akhnadin replied in an authoritative tone. Seto did not say anything more and rode to an adjacent arena with my uncle.

"Thank Ra for that," I said quietly. Mahado looked at me in surprise. "I wouldn't want him riding in my arena," I continued flatly. As I watched my uncle ride with Seto, I saw that Seto was staring at me. I immediately turned my horse around to the others. "Let's ride!"

"Who is that Seto-guy anyway?" I asked Isis, Karim, and Mahado when our ride was done. The four of us were alone, grooming our horses. Shada, Atem, and the rest were still riding.

Karim answered, "He is newly come at court-"

"That's no surprise, given his arrogance," I interrupted.

"He is to be the new Holder of the Millennium Rod," Karim finished.

I stopped brushing Nephthys and turned to him. "What? What happened to the current Priest of the Rod?"

"He's dying," Mahado answered simply. I felt my heart fill with a strange dread, and I looked over to Isis. She held my eyes in a meaningful stare, and then continued to brush her horse. The ominous feeling that I had when I was talking to Isis in the lotus garden returned to me. I could tell that this was to be just the beginning of a chain of events that would turn everything upside down; I just didn't know exactly what would happen and how it would affect all of us.

That night, as I went to sleep, I had the most horrifying dream…

_I am looking in a big, rectangular mirror. I see myself as I was when I was younger, and then I see Mahado's younger self standing next to me. They then transform into our grown up versions. Mahado has his arm around my shoulder and I watch myself wrap my arm around his waist and rest my head on his shoulder. They both smile back at me. Then I see Isis- or rather, the woman that Isis is to become. Karim, Shada, and my uncle appear and, finally, Atem and Nebatet appear too. In that mirror there is everyone that I hold dear, even my father and mother are among the group. But then, a crack appears in the mirror, right in between me and Mahado. More cracks appear, and the mirror shatters into tiny pieces as a woman laughs maliciously. It is Meta laughing, but then her laugh turns darker, more sinister, becoming the laugh of some evil man, and then the laugh of a dark creature… _

**Note: For all of you that read my story, I need your help with deciding on something. This story is turning out to be REALLY long, and I am thinking about splitting it into two parts: this story, and a sequel. I already have planned this story to have about thirty chapters, and that is only up to the point that Atem becomes Pharaoh. So please review and tell me if I should have this story in two parts or just one. I would really appreciate it. Thanks for reading, and I would appreciate any other feedback that you might have!**

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	16. Subtle Jealousy

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh **

The Priest of the Rod lasted another twenty-one days before he died. In that time, I had noticed a stark change in my uncle. He seemed to grow more distant from me as he grew closer to Seto, transferring his paternal affection to him. He no longer called me his "little Princess". Although he always had a hug for me still, there seemed to be some distraction in his hug. Whenever he tutored all of us in the military arts, he saved most of his attention for Seto. Needless to say, I deeply resented this change. My uncle was the closest thing I had to a father, and I was very jealous of the attention that he lavished on Seto. This made me determined to hate Seto, though his arrogance and spite towards Mahado, Karim, and Isis did not hinder it either.

"Have you noticed that my uncle seems to be taking a great interest in Seto?" I asked Mahado, Isis, and Karim casually as we were walking our horses to the pasture one afternoon. The Priest of the Rod had just died three days before, and so our lessons were being put on hold as the court went into mourning. In this time, the four of us were enjoying a rare moment alone. My brother was elsewhere, presumably with Mana. Shada was in the library reading scrolls; he was always the scholarly type. Akhnadin was, as we had come to expect, with Seto.

"Yes, but why are you concerned about it?" Mahado asked in return.

I didn't reply and sullenly walked on. This gave him the hint. "Ah, I see. You are jealous of the attention your uncle is giving him, because you are used to being the sole target of your uncle's affection, is that it?"

"He's hardly looked my way since Seto came along!" I burst in anger and hurt. "He's only spoken to me to bid me the formalities of the day, and that's it! I tried to get him to help me with my swordfighting, but he refused, saying, 'Another time, Jasana, I must help out Seto.' It's that or, 'I already have an engagement with Seto.'" Though it was true that I had been too busy to really spend time with my uncle, I had always taken it for granted that if I needed him, he would be there.

Karim kindly said, "I know that it's hard for you, Jasana, but think how Seto must feel. He's new to the court, raised by peasants, and has no idea of the way things are here. He has no mother and no father, so Akhnadin is stepping in for a parent. He does have that paternal tendency to him, you know. He's not only fatherly to you, but to all of us as well."

"I suppose you're right," I said dejectedly.

"Besides," Isis added, "just because he's also taking care of Seto doesn't mean that he has forgotten you. I know that you're still his little Princess, no matter what. Maybe if you just tell him how you feel, then he will even out his attention between you and Seto."

"Maybe, or I could just be acting selfishly," I said, still not feeling any better. "By the by, I really don't see why anyone would pity Seto. Karim, though you say that he has no knowledge of the courtly ways, he certainly acts like he does. He carries himself as if he was as great as Ra himself!"

Karim laughed. "Come to think of it, that is true. He won't let anyone befriend him,and he seems to especially hate Mahado."

"He hates all of us," Mahado pointed out, "all of us except for Jani, that is."

* * *

Three months later, the funeral for the Priest was held. A long procession carried his mummy from the palace to the funerary barge (1). The royal barge preceded it, carrying Father, Atem, the Guardians and their apprentices, and me. Despite Meta's barking orders, I stood out at the front of the prow. As I stood there, I felt completely free. I closed my eyes and felt Shu (2) combing through my hair, and reveled in the warmth of Ra on my face. The Nile looked serene as it wove in between mounds of golden sparkling sand. Meta, seeing as that I would not obey her, stopped her screeching, and we finally had bliss silence.

When we docked at the Valley of the Kings (3), the Priest's body was carried to the mouth of the tomb, and the Opening of the Mouth (4) was performed. After the interminable chanting of various spells and the performance of more rituals, the body was finally laid to rest at the tomb, and we were free to return to the palace.

As I made my way down the steps of the pier, Seto, who had boarded the barge before me, held out his hand. "Allow me, Princess," he said in his smooth dry tone. _"What does he take me for, a helpless five-year-old?"_ I asked myself with disgust. I quickly scanned the faces of everyone else: Meta, Nebatet, my uncle, and my friends. I reluctantly and lightly placed my hand in Seto's and stepped quickly into the barge. Without so much as a smile, I made a small nod with my head towards him and took my place besides Mahado.

I then made a move to return to the prow, but then Meta squawked, "Princess Sahm-Aset! You are not to stand at the prow! Have you no care for your delicate complexion?"

"My face is already dark enough, a little more sun won't kill me," I retorted. Atem suppressed a laugh.

"You'll fall over into the river!" Meta squawked again.

"I almost fell off a horse and managed to cling on, I'm sure that I shall manage to stay on the boat," I replied sarcastically. I caught a glance of Isis's eyes, which were dancing with laughter and shock.

Nebatet stepped beside Meta. "Go ahead, Jasana, but be careful." Smiling in gratitude, I walked toward the prow as the rowers began to row. I loved being on the river, but we never took the barge except for burial rites, and I was too busy to take leisure trips up and down the Nile.

Ra was passing into the Afterlife as we sailed upriver back to the capital. Shu's breath, which had been warm in the afternoon, had now turned cool in the autumn evening.

Atem soon joined me at the prow. "It's a beautiful sight, is it not, Sister?" he asked, pointing towards the place where Ra was setting in the west. His light seemed to set the Nile on fire.

"It is indeed," I replied.

Mahado then joined us, carrying a cloak. "Your father wants you to wear it, my Prince. He does not want you to catch a chill."

Atem sighed wearily as Mahado draped it around his shoulders. Then he turned to me, and I saw that he had another cloak. "Isis gave this to me to give to you, since she is too lazy to bring it to you herself."

I laughed and looked over to Isis. She winked at me.

"That's kind of you, Mad; I am a little cold." Mahado slowly draped my cloak over my shoulders, and I fastened it at my neck. We remained standing at the prow until the city came in sight.

* * *

The next night, Seto was formally introduced as the new Guardian of the Millennium Rod. After he made his formal vow to Father, he was introduced to the rest of us. Atem said brightly, "I'm sure you'll be a great Priest, and I look forward to becoming friends."

"I shall be honored," Seto replied coolly. Then he turned to me, "Princess, it is a pleasure. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Seto."

"I believe that we have met," I said formally. "You have ridden with us, have you not?"

"Yes," Seto said, his eyes gazing into mine. Those blue eyes seemed to be permanently cold. For some reason, a chill swept through me, and I quickly averted my gaze elsewhere.

He then exchanged pleasantries with Karim, Isis, Shada, and Mahado. Remembering that Karim had said he seemed to harbor a strange hatred toward Mahado, I watched Seto closely. His face appeared to be a mask disguising his true feelings, and I could not make out what he was thinking as he shook hands with my best friend.

Then it was time to get ready for the banquet. I received a note from Nebatet saying that she would not be attending because she was feeling indisposed. This meant that Meta was in charge of my appearance, much to my dismay. She caked green malachite onto my eyelids and rouged my cheeks with ocher. Then she had Isis place a heavy headdress inlaid with gold onto my head. My wrists were weighed down with golden bangles, and a heavy gold collar was placed on my neck.

The banquet was almost unbearable. I felt very self-conscious due to the gaze of several men, Seto among them. The perfume of the ladies overwhelmed me, and the headdress was giving me a massive headache. I massaged my forehead, but the pain would not go away.

In a rare moment of interest, Father looked to me and asked, "Daughter, are you feeling ill?"

"I feel faint, and I have a painful headache," I replied.

"Why don't you step outside then and get some fresh air?" I rose and went to the balcony and into the cool night.

As I left, I heard Seto say, "If I may, Your Excellency, I shall go with her to keep her company."

"But Father, I really insist that Mahado goes," Atem said quickly. Father almost always listened to Atem and preferred his opinion, so I became aware of Mahado's footsteps following mine. I looked out of the corner of my eye and saw Seto's resentful gaze on Mahado.

I staggered and gripped the railing of the balcony to steady myself. I took in deep gulps of fresh air, and tried to steady my breathing. I looked out into the night. The moon was only a tiny sliver of silver in the sky, and all of the akhs (5) were sparkling brightly.

Mahado gently asked, "Are you feeling better now, Jani? You were looking quite uncomfortable the entire night."

"It's this stupid headdress," I said. I immediately tried to take it off, but it was just too heavy. Mahado placed his hands over mine and tenderly lifted the golden headdress off my head. I removed the pins keeping my hair in place and shook it free. Just then, Shu blew a gentle and caressing breeze. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply.

I conjured a mirror and examined myself in the faint light. "By Ra, I look horrible!" I exclaimed. "I hate it when Meta paints my face."

"You look nothing of the sort, Jani," Mahado said softly. "Though Meta did paint your face, she cannot paint your eyes, she cannot draw your smile, and she cannot conjure your spirit, the very way you carry yourself. In that case, you are still just as beautiful and graceful and as charming as you always are. That's why I l-. " Mahado blushed heavily and stopped.

I drew a little closer to him, locking my eyes on his. "And that's why you…what, Mad?" I asked gently, hardly daring to breathe. We were standing side by side; we were so close that our shoulders were touching each other, and we could have kissed. 

Mahado's eyes looked into mine with a completely trusting and caring expression. I could tell that he was getting nervous, but then he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. He opened his eyes again and said steadily, "Jani, what I've been meaning to tell you all along is that I-."

"Pardon the interruption, Your Highness, but the Pharaoh and Master Akhnadin sent me to check on you." I whirled around to face Seto standing there before me. I was FURIOUS at him for interrupting. Seto's cold eyes quickly scanned us. He observed how close we were standing to each other; he saw that my hair was now flowing freely down my back when it had been up a moment ago, and that Mahado was holding my headdress in his hands. There was something in his look that gave me the feeling that I had just committed an act of grave impropriety. "I hope that I was not intruding on an important discussion? The two of you have been out here for some time," he added with a slight tinge of annoyance in his tone.

I looked to Mahado. The look in his eyes told me that he was frustrated. He slightly shook his head whispered, "Some other time."

I didn't know what to tell Seto. I had been waiting for Mahado to tell me what he thought of me for so long. However, I knew that he would not tell me while Seto was around.

"Well? Are you ready to go back in, Your Highness?" Seto asked.

I nodded my royal nod. "You were not intruding, Priest Seto. Mahado and I shall join the others now, pray tell my father that."

However, Seto did not move until Mahado and I started to walk, and we reluctantly followed him back into the dining hall.

* * *

"So he was just about to tell you, but then Seto interrupted?" Isis asked incredulously.

I nodded. "Mad said, 'What I've been meaning to tell you all along is that I-.' That was the moment Seto came in and said, 'Pardon the interruption…'and so on so forth."

Isis stopped combing my hair and clapped her hand to her mouth in shock. I gently took the brush from her hands and passed it through my hair several more times, and then switched places with Isis so that I could comb hers.

Isis smirked into the mirror. "Oh dear, Mahado has serious competition, I'm afraid."

"What do you mean?" I asked, gazing at our reflection.

"Jasana, it really is not that difficult to see what's going on." Isis said frankly. She took me by the hand and we walked away from the dresser and mirror to sit on the edge of my bed. "This Seto seems to be interested in you, whether you like it or not. Did you notice how he tried to- gallantly, for lack of a better word- help you into the barge yesterday? I've been observing him. He is clearly jealous of how close you seem to be with Mahado. That's why he appears to dislike Mahado so much."

"Because of me? That's ridiculous, Isis," I said staunchly. "It has to be a joke! That man doesn't have the capacity to befriend anyone, let alone to love someone as…" I paused, realizing that I was about to say "_as Mad loves me_".

Isis smiled as she read my face. "You mean he's not capable of loving you as Mahado loves you? Oh, of course; anyone can see that. But that doesn't mean that he can't take an interest in you."

"How can he take an interest in me if he cannot love me?" I asked.

"I hope that you have realized by now that there is a huge difference between taking an interest in someone because of their position, looks, or for whatever reason, and for loving someone for everything that they are." Isis gave me a knowing look, and I could immediately tell that she was hinting at what happened with Kanakh.

"Yes," I said softly, almost painfully, "I know that now, Isis. That is why I refuse to believe in Mahado's feelings until he actually tells me himself."

"And why else would Seto interrupt at that precise moment?" Isis continued. I had no answer to that, but my face darkened as I remembered how close I had been from hearing what I had wanted to hear for so long, and then have Seto come and ruin it. "You really wanted to hear Mahado say that he loves you, didn't you?" She didn't ask that question as a joke; she asked it in the manner of a sympathetic friend who could understand what I was feeling.

I blushed furiously. "You know that I've been hoping for it, Isis. You know exactly how I feel for him…"

"And what exactly do you feel for him, Jasana? How do you know that it's not another infatuation?" Isis asked, suddenly changing the subject.

"It's not another infatuation, it's something much deeper than that," I said simply. "I don't know if I should call it actual love, but Mahado and I have known each other for a long time; I can't even remember a time when I did not know him. He has been by my side through so much, and I know that I can always trust him. I can't explain it, Isis, I really can't. When I first saw what Kanakh did to me, I didn't feel as bad as I thought I would, because I knew that I still had Mad. But if, for some reason, I lost Mad…then I don't know what I would do."

Isis beamed. "That sounds a lot like love to me. But it's natural if you don't know for sure yet, Jasana. You only know for sure that you love someone when there's a threat of you losing them, and then you realize just how much they mean to you. And I don't think even you can deny the fact that he loves you. He just needs to suck up enough courage to tell you, and now he needs to do it before some people notice Seto's interest and encourage him to act on it."

"You don't even know if Seto is that serious," I said warningly to Isis. "And what if Mahado never tells me?"

Isis yawned and settled onto her pallet. "Oh, he will do it," she said confidently, "just you wait." But I could not tell if she was referring to Seto or if she was referring to Mahado.

* * *

The next day, which was the beginning of the tenth month of the year, I went to check on Nebatet. When I arrived in her room, I saw that Mahado was already there. He smiled faintly at me.

I sat down beside him and said, "Nebatet, you look so pale! What ails you?"

Nebatet smiled tiredly. "It's only a slight fever; it should go away in a few days." I put the back of my head to her forehead. Her forehead felt very hot.

Mahado didn't take his mother's illness so lightly. "I shall stay with you, Mother. Jani, tell the others that I won't be riding today."

"I shall stay here too; with my healing skills I could help," I replied.

She shook her head. "I won't hear of you putting your lessons on hold just because I'm a little off. At least go and ride. You may come back later, if you wish," she said authoritatively.

I was about to protest, but Nebatet gave me a warning look. Mahado and I rose and then went to the stables. As I walked, I found myself to be extremely nervous about Nebatet's illness. _"She'll be all right," _I told myself. _"We shall only ride for two hours at the most, and then I will go and heal her. She will be up and about in no time..." _

When Mahado and I arrived at the stable, Atem and Isis walked up to us first. "Is Nebatet all right?" Isis asked.

I replied, "She says that she only has a slight fever, but it is in fact a high fever. She's in bed right now."

Isis breathed a tentative sigh of relief. "She should be all right then."

"I shall go and attend to her when we are finished riding," I said.

Atem hugged me. "If you're going to take care of her, Jani, then I know that she'll be all right." I smiled.

Then a cold, expressionless voice said, "Why would you need to attend on the lady?" We all turned to look at Seto. "Surely there are other healers in the palace, so Your Highness' service is not needed?" I boiled with anger at the insensitivity in Seto's voice, and I saw that Isis and Mahado felt the same.

"I'm one of the best," I replied shortly. "And it is only natural that I should care for Nebatet, for she has been a mother to me. It is a daughter's duty to take care of her mother."

"Is that so?" Seto asked, raising an eyebrow. I said nothing more and went to bring Nephthys out of her stall. I tied her to a wooden post and got her ready for our ride. Everyone else followed suit, except for Seto, who was standing there idly as a servant tacked up his horse for him.

Atem observed the manner in which I brushed Nephthys, and painstakingly copied my technique. As I brushed, I became aware of the disdainful stare of Priest Seto. He was the only one that was not taking care of his own horse. As much as his stare unsettled me, I shrugged it off.

We got the horses warmed up, and then we once again worked on swordfighting. I could tell that Mahado was distracted, for when it was his turn to attack the wooden figure, the gap between his horse and the figure was too wide, and he only chipped the figure with the very tip of his sword.

Mahado was obviously frustrated with himself. I smiled encouragingly at him as he pulled his horse up to where the rest of us were waiting for our turn.

I heard Seto make a sort of derogatory snort. "That was pathetic," he said.

I immediately pulled up beside Mahado and faced Seto. "I would like to see you do better!" I fired back in angry sarcasm, glaring daggers at him.

Seto looked completely taken aback for a moment, but then he replied coolly, "As you wish, Princess." He then galloped towards the figure, but he misaimed and chipped the figure's shoulder.

As I casually watched him, I leaned towards Mahado and said in a low voice, "Don't feel bad, Mad. You did not do too horribly. Just think of it this way: At least you have enough sense not to treat me like a helpless little girl, and you know better than to belittle everyone around you."

Mahado smiled warmly at me, but his eyes were filled with anxiety and fear. "You're distracted because of Nebatet, aren't you?" I asked softly.

"Yes."

"She should be all right, Mad. I'll go to her as soon as I possibly can. It's only a fever after all." I tried to speak with optimism, but I failed.

"But still, what if she should…"

He did not need to finish the sentence; I understood it all just by gazing into his eyes.

"Please Aset, no. She'll be all right…" My voice, which was more fearful than confident, faltered for a moment. I was trying to comfort myself as much as I was trying to comfort him. "Everything will be all right…"

* * *

**1- Mummies were transported to their tomb by boats. They were taken across the Nile to the west bank. In Ancient Egypt, the west represented death, since it is where the sun sets, or, in Ancient Egyptian terminology, where Ra passed into the Afterlife. The boat was thought to be the means of transport that souls took to the Afterlife.**

**2- See Chapter 2 for a description of Shu**

**3- Though the Valley of the Kings is known to be the burial place of the Pharaohs, some tombs have been discovered to contain family members and close advisors of the particular Pharaoh. **

**4- The Opening of the Mouth was a ritual that enabled the person's mummy to be able to use their senses again to live in the Afterlife.**

**5- See Chapter 6 for a description of akhs**

**Thanks for reading! And, as always, please review! I'll take anything you have to say about the story, the characters, something that needs to be improved, etc...**


	17. Dusk

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh

* * *

**

Silence hung like a heavy cloud in the room, broken only by Nebatet's hacking coughs. Each cough was like a sharp arrow of pain tearing right through me. I sat by her side and clung to her hand as I clung on to hope. _Great Mother, Aset, Mistress of Magic, don't tell me this is happening. I beg you- please don't let this be happening…_

Nebatet was getting progressively worse. Ten days had passed since she had fallen ill, and there was little hope that she could recover.

Lady Aseneit checked her pulse and examined her while Mahado and I waited anxiously. After a while, she sadly shook her head. "I'm afraid there's nothing much I can do, Princess. The best we can do is to make her as comfortable as possible, and try to bring down that fever."

"What is her ailment?" I asked

Lady Aseneit shrugged. "I do not know the specific cause of her ailment. That is the reason why it is hard to find a remedy. Though she has a cough, her lungs appear to be perfectly fine. She is showing a myriad of symptoms that belong to different maladies."

Mahado sighed. "So what can we do?" he asked gravely.

"Now we wait."

"Wait for what, exactly?" I asked sharply.

"We wait and see what will happen: whether she will recover or not is now in the hands of Sekhemet and Aset (1)."

"If we wait and do nothing, then we are waiting for her to die," I said angrily.

Lady Aseneit shook her head. After about a year and half of having to teach me healing, she had learned that I could be very headstrong at times, and that I would not back down until I found the solution to a problem, even when there was no solution to be found. "May I remind you, Princess, that though you are a healer, you are still practicing magic, a power that is too great for mere mortals like us. We are only allowed to practice the magic because Aset allows us, and likewise we are enabled to practice through the power of Sekhemet. They act through us, and therefore it is ultimately up to them to decide the fate of those at our hands. You must remember that though healing is helpful, it is not perfect. There are some maladies that contain no cure. There are sensations that cannot be explained. I would think that you would have learned that by now, Princess. We do nothing because there is nothing we can do."

"Oh yes there is," I retorted. "We can search for a cure." I stood up. "If there is nothing we can do for the time being, at least we can try to think of something." I turned around to walk out of the room.

"Where are you going, Jani?" Mahado asked worriedly.

"I am going to the library," I replied fiercely. "We will never find what we are looking for if we don't try and search." With that, I walked out of the room, prepared to search endlessly until I found a way to save Nebatet. I regretted being so young when Mother died. My first thought was that if I had the skills back then, then I could have saved her. Now was another chance to save someone that I loved, and I was not going to let it slip out of my hands.

* * *

As I was walking to the library, I saw Seto. I inwardly groaned as I approached him; I did not want to see him, especially not at that particular moment. 

When he saw me approach him, he bowed and said, "Princess, what an honor it is to come across you. May I ask where you are going?"

"I am headed to the royal library," I said quickly. "If you do not mind, I am in a hurry."

He had this abhorrent smug expression on his face that I supposed was an attempt to smile. He replied condescendingly, "Might I escort you, Your Highness? It would be a shame for a Princess to get lost in her own colossal palace."

"I was born and raised in this palace," I snapped, "so I am perfectly capable of finding my way around. Now, if you will excuse me, I have business to attend to." I pushed my way past him and made it to the library.

* * *

Shada heaved an armful of scrolls unto the table. "Well, Princess, this is all that I could find that might help you." 

I added the scrolls that he dropped on the table to a small pile that I had already made. "Thank you so much for your help, Shada, and please, call me 'Jasana'. Mahado and the others don't even call me 'Princess' and you are no different from them."

"Very well then, Jasana." Then he lowered his voice and said, "If you should need anything more, it would be best if you send for me so that I can find it for you. Seto has just entered the library, and I am sure you are not inclined to meet with him."

I sighed with annoyance. "Thank you for passing that information on to me, Shada. I really appreciate it." With that, Shada left me to my studying.

I poured through scroll after scroll for what seemed like eternity. I was not aware of how much time I had passed in the library; my only thought was to help Nebatet in anyway I could. The thought of losing her as I had lost Mother fueled me onward in a sort of mad rage.

When a servant came to summon me for the evening meal, I told the servant to tell Father that I was busy and that I would take the meal in my chambers. But I stayed in the library and read on, pushing away the pangs of hunger.

I read and read until I felt someone place a hand on my shoulder. I jumped and looked up into the face of my brother. His eyes were full of sympathy. "Sister, why don't you call it a night? You've been searching for hours."

I shook my head. "I am trying to help Nebatet, Brother; I am not tired, not in the least."

"Lady Aseneit said that it was useless, perhaps you should leave it to the hands of the gods," Atem pleaded.

"I left Mother to the hands of the gods," I said bitterly, "and she was not saved. She was dying, and I was not allowed to be anywhere near her until it was too late."

"Please, Sister, you must rest. Please, do it for me." Atem's amethyst eyes begged with mine.

I hesitated to reply, but then I heard another masculine voice say, "It would be best, Jasana, if you would listen to the Prince." Karim and Isis appeared in the torchlight.

"You look awfully pale and absolutely exhausted," Isis said faintly, as if she was afraid to incur my wrath.

I felt myself stiffen with stubbornness. Karim said gently, "This is not the time to be stubborn. The best you can do is to go and comfort Mahado. If there ever was a time when he could use the comfort of your presence, it's now."

"Why don't you go?" I asked.

"None of us know Mahado as well as you do, and you know it," Karim replied steadfastly. "And if there's anyone who can understand just how he's feeling as he is watching his mother's life fade away, it's you."

I sighed, tears of shame springing to my eyes since I failed to find anything particularly helpful. "There's nothing I can do, really, is there?"

Karim gently placed his hands on my shoulders. "She is not gone yet; you can still talk to her, and appreciate her while she is still here." He spoke with the wisdom of an elder brother.

I swallowed my tears and rose. "All right, I shall retire for the night and go to Nebatet's chambers."

A small rueful smile spread across Isis's face. "Go then; Mahado needs you."

* * *

Accompanied by Atem, Isis, and Karim, I made my way to Nebatet's rooms. As I neared the doorway, they discreetly slid away into the darkness, leaving me alone with Mahado. His face was so different from that night at the banquet that it startled me. The light from his eyes was gone. Though they still softened upon meeting mine, they were filled with sorrow. Anxiety showed in every part of his face. 

A tear rolled down my cheek, and I murmured despondently, "I'm sorry, Mad, I couldn't find anything…There's nothing that I found that can help her…" I choked and could not say anything else.

Mahado wiped away the tear with his fingertips. "But you tried, Jani, and that is all that matters. Now my mother would like to speak with you, alone."

"Alone?" I asked, gazing at him with an inquiring look.

Mahado grasped my hand in his. Our rings brushed past each other, and I felt a surge of comfort suddenly well up in my heart. "I'll be right out here in the corridor if you should need me," he said as he led me into the room and shut the door behind me.

Nebatet had stopped coughing, and she looked just as lovely as always. I sat down at her bedside and grasped her hand. She whispered faintly, "Dear Jasana…"

I immediately started crying, "Why, Nebatet? Why now?"

She stroked my cheek with the back of her hand. "Don't be so sad, my dear, we all have to die someday, it is the fate that awaits us all. One day you too shall go into the Afterlife…"

"But what's in the Afterlife, Nebatet?" I asked rather childishly. "I've heard that's where we all go when we die, but what do we go to?"

"It is a happy place, of peace and light, where there is no more suffering, and no more pain. I shall go and see your mother again, and we shall all wait for the day that you join us."

I sobbed even harder. "I don't want you to go, please don't leave me! Ever since Mother died, you've been a-a m-mother to m-me…"

Nebatet smiled sadly. "It is not for me to decide, nor is it for you to decide, Jasana. You have no control over how long you live; you can only control how you choose to live that life which is bestowed upon you. I want you to remember that, my dear, especially now, with the current circumstances."

She sat up in her bed and took my face in both of her hands, her gray eyes gazing intensely into mine. "Listen very carefully, Jasana. I want you to remember that your destiny is in your hands and in your hands alone. No matter how bad things will become once I'm gone, it makes no difference. You will always have a choice, even when it seems you have no choice but to do as you are bid."

"What will become of me once Meta takes over and is in charge of my well-being?" I asked, shaking with fear and tightly gripping her hand.

Nebatet smiled sadly. "I do not know, my dear, I do not know. But no matter what Meta does, I want you to promise me something."

"Of course, I'll promise you anything!" I cried.

"I want you to promise me that no matter what becomes of you and your life, you will always remain true to yourself, when it seems like there's nothing left to live for, that you won't give up and live on. And when you are forced to choose between duty and love, always, always, my dear, choose love."

Now I was becoming confused. "What do you mean, Nebatet?"

"I mean exactly what I say. That when it is easier to crumble into dust, you will pull through, like a flickering light in the surrounding darkness. When your world is falling around you, and it is easier to just fall with it, that you will find something to hold on to. When you are surrounded by despair, and it is easier to just sink into the ocean of sadness, you will hold on to hope. Can you promise me that?"

"I-I promise," I stuttered.

"There's one more thing I shall ask of you, and it is that you answer truthfully this question: Do you love Mahado?"

I sat in silence for a while as I contemplated that question. "I…I think I do," I said at last. "But I'm not sure, Nebatet. What is love, anyway?"

Nebatet leaned back for a minute. "Now, what is love?" she asked brightly. "There are no words to describe it, my dear, for there are all kinds of love, just as there are all kinds of people. To each person, it is a different thing, and only those who love will really know what it is. I love you as if you were my own daughter, Jasana."

Fresh tears poured out of my eyes. "And I love you as a mother, Nebatet."

"So, Jasana, back on the subject of Mahado, your dear Mad- my observations and motherly instinct tells me that you do love him. Should that be the case, I ask that you hold on to that love, Jasana, no matter how hard others may try to tear it to pieces. I have done everything that I could to protect the two of you, and I've done everything in my power to enable you to realize the love that binds you together, but now you shall have to defend it by yourselves."

"I'm afraid," I whispered.

Nebatet said sympathetically, "It is natural for you to feel this way, Jasana, but I know that you are a courageous person. Don't worry; love will always find a way." She closed her eyes for a while, and then she said, "I will tell you a story, Jasana, one that will assure you that love will always find a way.

"I had just started my monthly courses when it was discovered that I would not be able to bear children. This was a hard blow for me and my parents, for they considered me to be practically worthless as a bride (2). To make things worse, I had fallen in love with a man at court, but his parents would not agree to the match, no matter how much he pleaded with them. My parents were not so enthusiastic about the match either, and they forbade me from seeing him again. But we really loved each other, and we were willing to give up everything just to be together."

"So what happened then?" I asked curiously.

"Your mother helped me. We had been friends since girlhood; we were as close as sisters, and were easily mistaken to be so. The man that I loved- his name was Ramose- refused to give me up, and so he proposed that we run away together and make a life in the city of Memphis. At that time, your mother was already engaged to Akhenamkhanen, and she refused to have me leave before her wedding. She convinced your father to give us sufficient money to support ourselves until we found jobs in Memphis. So we left the day after Hathoraset married your father. Ah, the tears that we cried! We believed that we would never see each other again."

"But the Seven Hathors (3) brought the two of you back together, and you were blessed with a son after all?"

Nebatet smiled reminiscently. "Yes, I was overjoyed and thanked Aset when I found out that I was pregnant, even though I had been told that I could never bear children. You see, Ramose and I really wanted to have a child, and so we fervently prayed to the gods. I smuggled a letter to Hathoraset telling her the news, and she replied that she too was pregnant. I discreetly went to visit her when she gave birth to you, bringing Mahado with me, though he was just newly born."

"That's incredible," I said, absolutely amazed at her story.

"Four years later, Ramose died of a snakebite and Hathoraset sent for me to come and stay with her, and so I did."

"I'm sorry," I replied.

Nebatet sighed contently and closed her eyes. "Now I shall see Ramose again soon, and we will be together…and I believe we can let Mahado back in now," she said with a bright smile.

I went to fetch Mahado and found him waiting on the threshold. I intended to leave him alone with Nebatet so that she could talk to him in private, but then Mahado grabbed my hand.

"Has she spoken with you alone?" I asked.

"Yes, she has, so you don't have to go…unless if you want to."

There was something in his voice that told me that he didn't want me to leave him alone. "No, I'll stay with her; I'll stay with you."

Despite the gravity of the situation, Mahado smiled brightly, looking very much like the boy he once was. "Thank you."

We stayed awake into the early hours of the morning, softly murmuring to each other as we kept watch over Nebatet. Though I had thought sleep to be an impossibility given my concern about Nebatet, it eventually came. I fell asleep with my head leaning on the wall. As I slept, I felt Mahado squeezing in between the wall and me, moving me so that I slept leaning against him instead, with my head nuzzled against his neck. I unconsciously relaxed and snuggled closer to him as my body conformed against his.

I woke up still being in his arms, and I saw that he had fallen asleep as well. When I stirred he woke up as well, and then he suddenly became embarrassed. "I… You just seemed to be uncomfortable leaning against the wall like that as you slept. I hope you didn't mind."

"I didn't mind at all," I said meekly. "In fact, I'm glad that you let me sleep on your shoulder. I warrant that was the best sleep I've ever had."

Pure happiness spread across Mahado's face. Everything that he did and the look in his eyes told me that he loved me deeply. I smiled and leaned my head against Mahado again, and he tightened his grip on me. I felt completely happy, but then I remembered that Nebatet was close to death, and that happiness faded away. I took her wrist and put two fingertips to it to check her pulse.

"How is her blood flow?" Mahado asked tentatively.

"Slow."

Nebatet opened her eyes and beamed at the sight of the two of us cuddling. "I knew it," she said faintly. Then her gaze drifted to the doorway, and she said, "Come in, Isis." I looked over my shoulder and saw Isis standing in the dooryway.

"Unfortunately, Mahado, you will have to release Jasana for a moment," Isis softly teased. "Her uncle wants to see her."

I hesitantly looked up at Mahado. I did not want him to let me go. "Go on, Jani, I'll be right here when you return," Mahado murmured into my hair.

I shook off the shivers running down my spine as I rose and exited the room. I walked right into my father. "Father!" I bowed in surprise.

"Your uncle requests your assistance in tutoring Seto in the ways of the sword and bow."

"Can he not wait, Father? How can anyone be practicing right now when Nebatet is dying?" I said, becoming slightly angry at the thought that anyone could work while waiting for the death of someone, especially someone like Nebatet.

"You will have to tell him that yourself, then," Father said apathetically.

"I will then," I replied, as indifferent as he. I bowed and then ran to the courtyard.

* * *

I found Akhnadin practicing with Seto, giving him tips as their swords clashed. Upon seeing me, Akhnadin smiled gently and said, "Ah, Jasana, you have come at last. Would you be so kind as to give Seto a few tips on his swordfighting skills? Perhaps you could start with his stance?" 

"I am in no mood to be tutoring anyone, Uncle."

"Why is that?" Akhnadin asked, a little surprise, and a little outraged. I was shocked by his hard face.This was not the uncle that I knew. My uncle was as cold as Seto himself. It was like he was a whole different person.

Tears sprang to my eyes."Do you not know, Uncle? Nebatet is dying."

Akhnadin started, as if he had suddenly remembered. His face softened, and he looked more like his regular self. He dropped his sword and swept me in an embrace. "By Aset, Jasana, I'm so sorry, I had completely forgotten about Nebatet. I didn't know she was so ill. Forgive me," he said as he soothingly rubbed my back. Seto observed us as if he had never seen anyone being hugged before.

"She's dying...and there's nothing I can do to save her..." I sobbed.

Then I heard footsteps, and I turned around to see Atem, Mana, Shada, Karim, Isis, and Mahado enter the courtyard. Isis's face was also tearstained, and she embraced me.

"Why are you all here?" I asked.

"Nebatet wished to see a priest and a scribe, alone," Atem answered.

"A scribe?" I felt my heart plummet to my stomach. I knew that it could only mean one thing, but I didn't want to believe it.

"She's drafting her will," Karim answered solemnly.

I found myself unable to breathe, and I slowly sat down on a bench. Mana sweetly crawled onto my lap and wrapped her arms around my neck. Atem sat on my right, and Mahado sat on my left. We all gathered close together, except for Seto, who observed us as he would observe a ritual.

"The Pharaoh is also speaking with her in private; she will not see anyone else at the present moment," Shada said.

I gazed over at the sundial. It was three hours past midday. It was only then that I realized how long I had been asleep; I had wakened at one hour past midday.

"So her life is almost at an end," Atem said, his eyes filling with tears.

Nobody replied to that remark. The air was as still, silent, and sad as we were.

Mana broke the silence. "So what do we do?" she asked in a juvenile voice.

"There's nothing we can do now," I said, as if I was conceding defeat, "but to wait."

* * *

Three hours passed as we waited in silence. Finally, a servant appeared and said, "Your Highness, the Lady Nebatet wishes to see you and Lord Mahado." Mahado immediately rose and ran to Nebatet's room, and I followed with everyone else. 

The only people allowed into the room were Mahado and me. The Priest of the Millennium Ring, Father, Akhnadin, Atem, and the others waited in Nebatet's sitting room. As I walked, my heart felt as heavy as a stone. I sat on the left side of Nebatet's bed, and Mahado kneeled at the right. Nebatet looked content and at peace; it was as if she was sleeping. She opened her eyes and looked at us lovingly. "My dears, my life is now at its end. As Ra passes into the Afterlife, so shall I…"

I looked over my shoulder to the balcony. The sundial told me that Ra was already starting to sink into the abyss below. I started to weep, but Mahado just knelt stiffly at his mother's side. His face appeared to have been carved out of stone by shock and disbelief.

Nebatet smiled sadly. "There is no need to weep, for though I shall no longer be with you in person, I shall still be with you in spirit. Death is not the end, my dears; it is merely the beginning of another journey: the journey to our final home. We shall see each other again in the Afterlife, and we shall all be happy together. Life is a cycle. As we are born, we are also meant to die. The east cannot exist without the west. Likewise, there cannot be joy without sorrow. You may be sad when I'm gone, but promise me that when you have cried your tears, you will carry on with a smile and be joyful again."

Nebatet's voice grew softer and softer. She then took my hand in her right hand, and Mahado's in her left and she joined them. "The only thing more powerful than death, Mahado and Jasana, is love. When everything else turns to ashes, there will always be love. Remember, love will always find a way…"

Her loving eyes took in our faces one last time in the fading light. As the last of Ra's light faded away, she let out a content sigh, her grip on our hands loosened, and she closed her eyes, still retaining the peaceful smile upon her lips.

* * *

**1- Sekhemet is the goddess of medicine, Aset is the goddess of magic. Healing and magic were closely intertwined in Ancient Egypt. **

**2- The success of a marriage was measured by the number of children that the couple produced. Barren or childless women were pitied and sometimes scorned. **

**3- For a description of the Seven Hathors, see Chapter 7**

**Thanks for reading!! If you would be so kind as to review, it would be most appreciated. Now the school life is becoming busier and busier, so Chapter 18 might not come up for a while, unfortunately...**


	18. Path to Separation

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh**

I slowly stirred and opened my weary eyes, and then I jerked awake with a start. My face was still wet with tears, and I knew for a fact that I did not sleep until very late in the night. _Why was I crying again?_ It seemed that my mind had been wiped completely blank by grief. Then I realized, _Nebatet…_

Wishfully thinking that I had only dreamt of her death, I rose and ran to her room. I burst through the door, and then I felt my heart twist as I looked around me. Her room was now empty. Every chair, every pot of ocher, and even the bed had been removed, and the room lay swathed in white cloth. It was as if Nebatet had never existed. The air itself rang hollow in my ears. I collapsed on my knees. _It's true, she's really gone…_

Tears sprang to my eyes again, and then a soft breeze came and gently caressed me. I turned my face and saw that it came from the balcony; the white gauze curtain was fluttering softly in the breeze, as if it was bidding me closer. I walked onto the balcony and looked out to the east. Ra was just being reborn, and his light illuminated a blanket of white clouds, giving them a beautiful silver gleam. The Nile was also but a flash of silver in the morning light.

I became aware of another presence, and I noticed a magnificent hawk perched on the rail. I froze, afraid that if I were to move, I would frighten it away. I was in awe that a hawk would be standing on the balcony rail. It seemed to carry itself with an air of majesty, and I noticed that while other hawks had dark brown feathers, this one had light golden brown ones; it was the exact same color as Nebatet's skin. It gazed at me, and instead of having black eyes, it had grey ones-_Nebatet's grey eyes. _

It held me in a seemingly gentle and warm gaze, and then it spread its majestic wings and took flight. It hovered above me, flapping its wings as if to give me a sort of blessing, and then it soared above the golden sands and into the rising sun.

"Farewell, Nebatet," I whispered as the hawk faded into the blinding light.

* * *

That afternoon, I was sitting on a bench in the lotus garden, my senses numbed with sorrow. My eyes glanced at the blue blossoms, but they could not take in their beauty. There was still the soothing whisper of the flowing water, but I could not hear it.

It was as if my own mother had died all over again. There was the initial shock, and then the slow sense of loneliness and emptiness that came when I realized that Nebatet was really gone.

"Ah, there you are," I heard a voice say softly. Akhnadin walked towards me, and took a seat beside me. "I was afraid that you would shut yourself in your chambers for the entire day," he continued gently.

As I looked into his face, which was filled with paternal tenderness, my eyes filled with tears. I bit my lower lip, trying desperately to keep my tears back. Akhnadin enfolded me in his arms, and I buried my face into his chest and started to sob. "There, there, my little Princess," he murmured soothingly, "it's all right to cry."

"I-It's not…It's j-just n-not FAIR!" I cried. "Why…why did- she- have to die?"

"It was just her time, Jasana," my uncle replied sadly as he gently rocked me.

"With her gone…there's nobody that cares for me as she did.

Akhnadin flinched a little. "But I'm still here, Jasana, and I care for you."

"You've been a father to me, Uncle, but lately I've hardly seen you or talked to you! You were always with Seto…"

Akhnadin tightened his embrace. "I'm sorry if it seems that I neglected you when I was helping Seto, Jasana, but that didn't mean that I cared for you less. Seto grew up without a father, and his mother died when he was only ten years old. Imagine what it would be like to grow up without a mother or a father, and to come to a court where you are a complete stranger. That is why I decided to help him. Although the other apprentices have been training since they were very young for their role, Seto has never learned how to wield a sword properly, and the like. Do you understand why I had to help him?"

"Yes, I understand now, I think," I said shakily.

"He could really use a friend, a friend like you, actually," Akhnadin said subtly.

I lifted my face and studied his face, suspicious that he changed the subject so suddenly. He was hinting at something, but I could not put my finger on it. There was a strange glint in his dark brown eye, and a mysteriously covert expression on his face.

Suddenly, the familiar paternal expression returned to Akhadin's face, and he said rather brightly, "Speaking of friends, here come Isis and Karim. I shall leave you with them." He abruptly rose and walked away, leaving me confused.

Karim sat down opposite to me, but Isis checked for a moment and gazed in the direction that Akhnadin had left. "Were we interrupting on something?" she asked anxiously.

"No, you were not."

Isis then sat beside me and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

"Not much better," I said shortly.

"You're not alone, Jasana," Karim said softly. "We are all going to miss her as much as you will."

"But my life will be the one that is most affected by her death!" I cried bitterly. "We all know what will happen. Meta will take over, make me into her own puppet, and render my life completely miserable! Who knows- she just might even force a husband on me, or shut me away as a priestess, isolated from the palace, and unmarried so that I will never know love! She can do anything with me now, because there's no one to defend me, no one to protect me…" I broke down into sobs again.

Karim and Isis remained silent; they had nothing to contradict that. We all knew that it was true.

Karim moved and sat down next to me. "You will find a way to prevail, Jasana, and you will not be alone. Know that Isis, Mahado, Shada, your brother, and I will always do our best to look out for you, because you are our friend. We will find a way to get by, just you wait and see."

"Meta will dare not make a move until Nebatet is buried and the mourning is over. You have at least 3 months."

"But what will happen once Khonsu (1) has appeared three times?" I asked worriedly.

Karim and Isis remained silent at that. Nobody could say what would happen then.

* * *

Upon their suggestion, I later made my way to Mahado's room with a tray of food for him. I found myself to be more nervous than I should have been.

I silently glided past the guards and into his room. He was sitting on his bed with his head in his hands.

"Mad?" I greeted him tentatively.

He raised his head to look at me. I mentally gasped when I saw that his face was etched with grief and suffering. He mutely gazed at me.

"I…I've brought you something…I thought it might help," I said faintly.

Mahado remained silent and still; for a moment I feared that losing Nebatet had made him a cold and emotionless statue. Finally, a faint thread of a voice came from his lips as he slowly said, "Thank you, Jani, but I'm not hungry."

"It would really help, Mad, it truly would." As I spoke, I was starkly reminded of that one night when Atem had been poisoned, and he had said something similar to me. "If Nebatet were here, she would want you to eat something; she would not want to see you like this. It would pain her…and…it pains me too," I said mournfully.

Mahado's eyes gently scanned over me. "You haven't eaten much either, have you? And your face is streaked with tears."

"She was like a mother to me," I said, my eyes once again filling with tears. "But I made a promise to her, and I'm trying to keep it."

"What sort of promise?"

"That is in between the two of us."

Mahado still did not touch the tray of food, and I murmured, "If you will not do it for the memory of Nebatet, will you do it for me?"

Mahado sighed, finally took the tray from my hands, and ate. I felt a small flicker of hope light up in my heart.

When he had finished, he gazed out at the window into the bright sky. "How was it," he asked, "right after your mother died?"

"It was painful. I cried every night until dawn, I refused to eat, and I stayed in my room for the better part of three months. But then, I managed to move on, slowly but surely, though I still miss her at times."

"I honestly do not know how you could have done it." Mahado shifted his gaze to me. "I don't see how you could have recovered from such a loss as that."

"Don't you remember, Mad?" I asked softly. "I managed to do it because of you. You, and Nebatet, and my uncle too. I remembered that though Mother was gone, there were still people who cared for me, and they would help me get through that hard time. Nebatet had told me that though I felt sad, I would soon feel happy again." In hindsight, Nebatet had turned out to be right. Though the grief had sometimes returned to me, I slowly moved on from it and recovered.

Mahado looked despondently at the ground at his feet. "Now I know how you must have felt." He swallowed hard, and then continued, "If only I had stayed with her that time when we went riding! Maybe then I could have helped her, maybe then she would have recovered-" His voice broke with a sob.

I gently stroked his shoulder. "It is of no use to think of it anymore, for what's past is past."

Mahado's eyes flooded with tears. He tried to restrain them, but then I said softly, "It's natural to cry, Mad. There's no one here to see you; there's only me."

The tears then rolled down his face, and he suppressed another sob as he said, "I thought that if I tried to push the pain away, then I would not feel it."

"It does not work that way," I replied, tears rising in my throat again.

He gently drew me close to him, and I wrapped my arms tightly around him as we cried on each other's shoulders.

* * *

Ra smiled benevolently down at us as we proceeded with Nebatet's funeral. I remember that it was a brisk day in the first month of the new year. The only sound I was aware of was the crying of the wailing women (2). Shu coldly murmured into my ear as we rowed to the west bank of the Nile.

I was shivering under my cloak when I felt a warm arm curl across my upper back and hook around my upper arm. I looked up into Mahado's loving face. Though it was a somber and sad occasion, his eyes still beheld me with tender affection.

"Better?" he asked.

I smiled and moved closer to him. "Much better," I concurred. I laid my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes, taking in the moment. Much to my surprise, Meta was not screeching her heart out over how close Mahado and I were, but I did not care. It was a moment of pure bliss that I wanted to last forever.

Then we landed, and the funerary rites were under way. It had been arranged that Nebatet would be buried near my mother. After the priests chanted the final spells giving Nebatet the protection that she needed, it was time for the Opening of the Mouth (3).

As they were getting ready for the ceremony, Mahado looked towards me. He appeared to be frightened, no more than a small boy. For all the years that I had known him, I had never seen him in such a state before. I smiled and gave him an assuring nod, and he smiled in return.

Then, with the help of the Priest of the Millennium Rod, he touched the pronged instrument to the wooden coffin containing Nebatet's body and chanted the necessary words. At that precise moment, a hawk cried out. I turned around and saw the same grey-eyed hawk that I had seen the morning after Nebatet's death perched on a nearby cliff. It gave another triumphant cry, swooped down close over Mahado's head, and then over the golden horizon.

* * *

When we were returning to the barge, Mahado said to me, "There was something about that hawk…"

"That was not just any hawk; I think it was the spirit of Nebatet," I replied. "The morning after she died, I saw that very hawk perched on the rail of her balcony when I was there. It even has her very grey eyes."

"Really?" Comfort seeped into Mahado's eyes. "Then she must be watching over us."

"I hope so."

When it was time to board the barge, Mahado held out his hand to help me. I smiled and took his warm hand in mine and stepped into the barge, ignoring how Meta was glaring black daggers at us. Still hand in hand, we made our way to the prow.

"Princess Sahm-Aset, it is not proper for you to stand at the prow as such. Sit here and behave like a proper Princess for once," Meta commanded as she gestured to a seat beside her.

I did not move, and then my father said, "Daughter, do as Meta bids you."

_No…_I fearfully locked my eyes on Mahado, and his indigo gaze sympathetically met mine. He now held my hand in both of his and murmured, "Do not be afraid, you will find a way to deal with her. Together, we will both find a way, I promise…"

I trembled with fright and clung to his hand as if doing so would save me from Meta's treachery. "Daughter, I say again, do what Meta tells you," Father said, his voice rising higher.

I had no choice. I turned away from Mahado and walked towards my seat. He held my hand until the last possible minute, and then his touch slipped away. I sank onto the wooden chair, away from all of my friends, and even my brother. My heart felt as heavy as stone as I thought, _And so it has begun. _

* * *

**1- For a description of Khonsu, see Chapter 4**

**2- When a funeral was held, there would be some official mourners hired. They were almost always women. **

**3- For the Opening of the Mouth, see Chapter 16. **

**Thanks for reading! Please review too and tell me what you think! I'm currently on Spring Break at the moment, but unfortunately Chapter 19 may or may not come up due to March Madness and my unbelievably huge pile of homework...**

**Have a great Easter everyone! **

* * *


	19. Isolation and Suffocation

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh, for the thousandth time**

Isis slowly and carefully moved the brush through my hair. I blankly stared at the mirror and contemplated everything that had happened earlier that day. We had just returned from the Valley of the Kings several hours ago. I smiled sleekly with pleasure as I remembered Mahado's arm around me and the way he beheld me with that soft light in his eyes. I clasped my hands in my lap, imagining that I could still feel the warmth of his hands on my fingers. _Really, he does not need to tell me that he loves me, _I thought to myself. _It's clear from the way he acts around me. But it would still be nice to hear it from his lips…_

Then my heart sank with dread as I remembered how Meta had ordered me to a seat on the barge and prevented me from standing at the prow, my favorite place to stand on the barge. Not only that, but she had ordered me to sit away from my friends. Father had even reinforced her orders when I refused to obey. I could already feel Meta's encroaching grasp over my destiny.

Isis's strokes became slower and slower until they almost came to a standstill. I turned around to see that her eyes were filled with tears. "What is it, Isis?" I asked.

"Forgive me, but it pains me to think that I may very well never be able to brush your beautiful hair again."

"What? Why?" I replied in shock.

Isis swallowed before saying, "Meta bid me to tell you that as of tomorrow, I am to move into rooms of my own, as all other apprentices have done. Also, you are to move into other rooms as of tomorrow. Your belongings will be moved for you."

"What?! Why was I not informed of this sooner?" I rose to my feet, utterly outraged. "Don't **I **have a say in this? I like my rooms; I have always been in these rooms ever since I could remember! I have no wish whatsoever to change my accommodations!"

"I'm afraid not," Isis said ruefully. "Meta has it all arranged, and your father apparently saw no reason for you to object."

"So Meta means to separate us as companions?"

Isis sadly nodded. I moved away from the dresser and sat down on the edge of my bed. I did not expect to take a blow like this. I had lost Nebatet, and now I would not be able to confide in Isis as much. This was a double blow for me.

Isis sat beside me and took my hand in hers. Her eyes met mine as she said, "But know that I shall always be your loyal friend, Jasana, despite Meta's interference."

"Who does she mean to replace you with though?"

"I do not know," Isis said pitifully as she embraced me. "I do not know."

* * *

I found out soon enough. Meta herself led me to my new rooms, which were on the opposite side of the palace from where my previous ones had been. It was in the farthest corner away from the stables, from the apprentices' rooms, and from my brother's suite. I was as far away from all those close to me as I could ever be.

I had to give Meta credit for remembering that I was a Princess after all, as the rooms were put together nicely. There was a large anteroom for me to receive guests, and an expansive sitting room. This set of rooms was bigger compared with the one that I had moved from. There was even a balcony, but it looked out to the various temples and other buildings that surrounded the palace beyond the big walls. _What a lovely view_, I thought to myself sarcastically. The walls were a reminder that I was put here by Meta, and as I looked around me, it felt like I was in a prison.

As I walked in with Meta, I noticed the giggling of several ladies. Upon entering, I saw five ladies standing in the anteroom, stupidly talking and giggling over what I presumed to be some gossip or something else petty in nature. Four of them had dark hair and dark eyes, with a dark complexion to match- typical-looking Egyptian women. The fifth, however, was pale and had bright blue eyes, though she too was dark-haired.

Meta cleared her throat, and they fell silent. Meta then said in her haughty voice, "Princess Sahm-Aset, these are your new companions. They are to keep you company and make sure that you do not involve yourself in behavior unbecoming to a Princess of Egypt." I knew, as she meant me to know, that they were to make sure that I was never alone with Mahado. "Ladies," Meta barked, "present yourselves to Her Highness."

One of them, obviously the boldest of the group, stepped forward. I quickly scanned her and recognized her as the girl that I saw kissing Kanakh that one night. She held her head high as though she considered herself to be my equal. She curtsied and said proudly, "My Lady, I am Teraset, daughter of Lord Sep-u-khamen. These," she gestured to the others, "are my younger sisters: Safira, Aramen, Meret, and Ankh-nefera." Each of the ladies curtsied as their name was called.

Meta stiffly nodded her head. "Very well. See to it that the Princess is settled," she ordered. She turned to me. "You would do very well to become acquainted with your ladies, Princess," she said in a low voice. It was more of a threat than a suggestion. She smirked and then slid out of the room as subtly as a snake.

I stared at my "companions", and they stared back. Awkward silence hung in the air, and finally one of the girls, the pale and blue-eyed one named Aramen, said brightly, "Shall I show you to your private room, Princess Sahm-Aset?"

"Be silent!" Teraset hissed. "Do not speak until you are spoken to!" Aramen meekly bowed her head and stared at the ground.

"Yes, you may, um…Aramen" I said unenthusiastically, trying to remember the girl's name. "But I first want to make a few statements. First of all, no one is to enter my private room at any time."

"We wouldn't dare, Princess!" the girl named Safira gasped.

"Secondly, you are to address me as 'Jasana'."

"It is not our place to address Your Highness so familiarly," Teraset interjected. "Meta gave us strict orders that we are to call you by your formal name: Princess Sahm-Aset."

I had only met Teraset, but I was already getting annoyed with her cockiness. "If you will not address me by my real name," I replied imperiously, "then you are to call me only 'Princess'. I will not stand to be called 'Sahm-Aset' by anyone."

"Yes, Princess," murmured all of the ladies, except for Teraset.

Awkward silence hung over us once more until Aramen said, "Well then, shall I show you your bedroom? I know that you will love it, Princess." She cheerfully laid her hand on my arm and led me into another room alone.

I saw that everything was arranged in the same relative position as it was in my previous rooms. On the bed laid a chest full of my most treasured possessions. I was relieved to see that it had not been opened yet, as was my request. Inside were the scrolls of Mother's spells, the frozen images of Mother and me, her necklace, and various other little trinkets.

"So, what do you think, Your Highness?" Aramen asked eagerly.

"It's nice enough, I suppose, but I liked my old rooms better," I said gloomily.

"Oh," she replied softly. She continued cheerfully, "But you'll come to like this part of the palace, you'll see. You should really wait until Ra passes into the Afterlife; the temples glow a bright gold, and it really is a beautiful sight." She sighed dreamily.

"How old are you?" I asked curiously.

"I am twelve, and the youngest of my sisters," Aramen said. One would have thought that we had known each other for years rather than for less than an hour. "Don't mind Teraset, she's the bold and sharp-tongued one, and quite bossy too. But she's really caring after you get to know her for a while. Safira is really quiet and shy, but she's the wise one. Meret is the funny sister, and Ankh-nefera is the gossip girl."

"And you are the chatty and curious one?" I asked, managing to smile.

Aramen shrugged. "Well, that's what I've been told, but I can't help being so curious. Is it true that you are a really powerful sorceress?"

"Yes, I suppose I am," I answered, flattered.

"That man is also powerful too, is he not? The one that is with you all the time and is quite taken with you? I do not know his name though, what is it?"

"He is Mahado, and yes, he is also quite powerful." I could feel myself blushing, though I tried my hardest not to.

"How wonderful! I wish that Icould learn sorcery," she said wistfully. Then she continued in a whisper, "Forgive my boldness in saying so, Princess, but I so wish for you to find happiness with Mahado! My sisters don't think it so, but to me, seeing the two of you in love and being able to realize that love with marriage would be the most romantic and most wonderful sight in the world!"

My eyes widened at her statement, and she immediately dropped her eyes to the ground. "Forgive my boldness; now I shall leave you to unpack the rest of your belongings," she said.

"I do not mind your boldness," I replied kindly. "I was just like you when I was younger." Aramen smiled brightly before bowing and leaving me alone.

I sighed and sat down on the edge of my bed, gazing at the silver ring on my right forefinger. I mentally revealed the black engraving that said "Mad" and contemplated Aramen's words in my head. _Mahado and I married…yes, that would be the most wonderful thing of my life. _

* * *

It was not long before it was clear that Meta had full control over my life. My sorcery lessons ceased to exist, save for my lessons in battle magic, but their frequency was to be drastically decreased, and so were my lessons on horseback battle arts- any lesson or outing where I was guaranteed to see Mahado and enjoy time with my friends and my brother was limited. My healing lessons increased, but I no longer learned with Isis; I instead learned with my new ladies-in-waiting. The time that I did not spend in lessons I could only pass with spinning flax (1) in my rooms with my designated companions. Often my only chance to see Atem and my friends was at the evening meal, and though I was still free to talk with them, there was always one of the sisters sitting nearby and spying. So I had to watch what I said, and take care not to appear to be too familiar with Mahado.

Already after a month, it got to the point where I spent the better part of everyday in my rooms spinning flax with my ladies. They had been used to it their entire lives; they spun the flax easily and chattered as they spun. I, on the other hand, had never been taught how to spin flax; Mother always thought that work tiring and only for servants, and so she never taught it to me, teaching me the ways of the script and the sorcerers instead.

I found my new routine to be suffocating. The five sisters altogether were complete opposites of me. They could only read and write a little, and they spent hours gossiping away. They were shocked that I was trained in the ways of the sword and that I could ride a horse- they believed those to be skills reserved only for men.

After a few frustrating lessons on spinning flax, I gave up. I opted to read scrolls instead so as to keep my magic fresh. That was what I was doing while my ladies were spinning on one bright day in the beginning of the second month of the year.

Aramen, who had come to be my favorite of the sisters, was staring longingly at the patch of sky that showed through the window. Teraset, catching her youngest sister idling, said sharply, "Stop daydreaming and start spinning, Aramen!"

"But we've been spinning for hours!" Aramen whined. "I'm sick and tired of it."

"Now, Aramen, we have been down this road many times before," Safira said, sighing a little. "You know that as noblewomen, it is our duty to set a good example for the women of Egypt."

"Spinning flax and keeping ourselves adorned at all times are essential to being women," Meret added. I inwardly sneered at her remark.

"Well then, I'm tired of being a woman. I want to be a man for a day! I want to be able to ride and learn spells, just as Her Highness does!" Aramen whined.

"If you would like, Aramen, I shall show you some of the simplest of spells," I offered kindly.

Aramen's eyes glowed with pleasure, but then Teraset screeched, "I will not have her be corrupted and rising above her station in life! She would do well to remember her place, just as you would do well to remember yours, Princess."

"And tell me, Lady Teraset," I asked in mock severity, "what place would be fit for me? I am a sorceress, warrior, and healer, and woman all the same. I am a scribe, an intellect, and yet I am a woman. The Egyptian woman has every right to be whatever kind of woman she is. We are not in Persia, where as women we would be confined to a corner of the palace for our whole lives until we pick up a husband, and then be confined some more. We are Egyptian women, we are free." _And yet, ironically, I am caged in my rooms_. (2)

Teraset was boiling with anger, but before she could speak, Safira warned, "Watch your tongue, Teraset. Remember that it is to the Princess that you are speaking."

Before Teraset could say a word, I caught the sight of a flash of gold and russet hair. "Atem!" I cried out as I jumped to my feet. I dropped the scroll I was reading and ran to embrace him.

"Sister! Have you been here the whole time? I have not seen you at all today!"

"What are you doing here?" I asked, surprised.

Atem appeared to be confused. "What else would I be doing but rescuing you?" he teased with a smile. He faced the sisters, who curtseyed upon seeing him. "Ladies, you must give me leave to take my sister away from this…" he briefly glanced at the room, which was rather dark though there was a window, "rather dingy place."

"We are to escort her, My Prince; the Lady Meta's orders," Teraset said haughtily. Her personality was so similar to Meta's that one would think they were twins, except that Teraset was about 20 years younger than Meta or so.

"Well, I hereby overrule that order; it is my wish to walk with my sister alone. I have come to fetch her for her battle art lesson. Surely Meta's order does not precede the Prince's?"

"Of-of course not," Teraset stammered, apparently not knowing what to do.

"I thought so," Atem said smugly. "And I shall escort her back, she is quite safe in my hands." He then pulled me out of their sight and down into the hallway.

"How very gallant of you, Brother," I joked. "I know that the ladies will be quite mad for you once you get older."

"I would rather not think of me getting older," Atem said lightly. "It's fun being as I am now, though I would rather not have Father hovering over me so." After a short pause, he eagerly grabbed my arm and pulled me along at a faster speed. "We missed having you ride with us, Jasana!"

"I miss it too," I said longingly

"Mahado misses you especially," Atem added slyly. "I told him that one of these days I would have to pluck you out of your rooms, if he would not do it himself, and let you alone with him before he goes mad."

"Atem!" I gasped, blushing furiously.

He grinned. "He talks of you incessantly, of how he longs to see you, and it's so much fun to tease him by talking about you."

"I would think that it's you who is driving him mad," I rejoined, still feeling heat rising from my face.

"You know that you miss him too," Atem teased, his amethyst eyes dancing with laughter. "How could you not? And likewise how could he not, since he loves you **so** much…"

I stopped dead in my tracks. "What did you just say?"

"I said that the two of you love each other," Atem said simply, the grin never leaving his face. "Honestly, did you think that just because I am only a child meant that I would not notice it? You love him, and he loves you too; one would really have to wonder why you are not married yet."

"It's complicated," I said, sighing. "You know that Meta is preventing it somehow, and whatever she does, Father goes with it too."

"Why though?" Atem asked, his usual cheer somewhat diminished.

"I do not know, but it is complicated."

"Well, it shouldn't be so complicated," he replied flatly, his face somber. "You love him, he loves you, and therefore the two of you should be married, it's as simple as that."

I smiled and chuckled. "You think quite logically and maturely for someone your age." I silently marveled at how at eight years old, he was already thinking beyond his years.

Now Atem appeared to be frustrated. "Yes, sometimes I feel like I'm the one who thinks the most logically out of everyone in the palace. Things are so simple, and yet adults make them so complicated. That's why I don't want to think of how it'll be when I grow up. It's funny how we children think the most clearly and yet our opinions never count for anything."

* * *

As we exited the palace, I ran all the way to the stables, my heart pounding faster with each step. I suddenly remembered that it was not any ordinary day, but that it was Mahado's birthday.

"Oh Ra, Atem, I forgot that it was Mahado's birthday!" I cried as I ran along.

"Don't worry; seeing you will be a sufficient gift for him," Atem replied.

I stopped at the entrance to the stables and walked in so as not to frighten the horses. And there, right in front of me, were all of my friends. But unfortunately, Seto was among the group. Everyone except for him smiled upon seeing me; Mahado's smile was the biggest of all.

"Ah, there you are!" Karim said enthusiastically.

"We've been waiting for you," Isis said in that smooth and gentle voice of hers.

I embraced her tightly and said, "Finally, no spies around, and just us!" I released her, and then I noticed Karim give Shada a nod. Shada then pulled Seto down another aisle and distracted him with some conversation. Seto seemed to take the bait, but only partially.

I finally settled my gaze on Mahado. He opened his mouth to speak, but all he could utter was, "Jani…"

I walked closer to him. "Happy Birthday, Mad," I murmured softly as I wrapped my arms around his neck. His arms came around me and he held me tight and close. That moment seemed to last forever.

When he finally released me from his grip, I heard someone clear his throat. I turned around and saw my uncle standing at the entrance.

"Uncle!" I ran and embraced him as well. I had seen him every night at the evening meal, but I had not spoken to him since the day after Nebatet's death.

There was something wrong in Akhnadin's demeanor. As I hugged him, he remained stiff and uptight, and his face was set and serious.

He stiffly patted my back with one arm, and then said in an official manner, "Well, now that we are all here, shall we begin?" He brushed past me, and I stood there agape in shock. I fixed Isis, Karim, and Mahado with a questioning look, and they all shrugged their shoulders.

Shada and Seto then returned, and I saw Akhnadin smile and greet Seto warmly. My mouth opened even wider, and I felt a twinge in my heart. _What is the meaning of this?!_

A warm hand settled on my shoulder and I looked up into the smiling face of Mahado. "Shall we go and fetch our horses, Jani?"

I shrugged off the stabbing pain in my heart and forced myself to smile. "Yes."

As we walked towards the padlock where our horses were, I could not rid my mind of the pain of seeing my uncle being so different. "Mad, my uncle seems to be different, does he not? Why did he treat me so coldly just now?"

Mahado comfortingly grasped my hand. "He is very secretive nowadays; he mostly spends his time helping Seto out."

"Oh," I said, crestfallen.

We remained silent for a little while longer, and then Mahado said tenderly, "I miss moments like these, Jani."

"Moments like what?"

"When it's just you, and me, together, just as we are now," Mahado confessed. "Our rides seemed to be so empty without you."

I moved closer to him. "Well, I'm here now, Mad. Meta is not around, nor are any of my ladies, and it's just us. I am all yours."

"I have but one wish on this day, and that is for us to go on a ride alone, just like we used to." His voice was almost a whisper.

"Then we shall, just this once," I said, cupping my hand around his cheek.

"Jasana, Mahado! It would not be wise to tarry any longer!" Karim called as he and Isis caught up to us.

My hand fell to my side as I realized that I had completely forgotten about the horses. "Oh, right!" I replied absentmindedly.

Karim and Mahado each grabbed a halter and entered the padlock. As I picked up Nephthys' halter, Isis murmured to me, "I'm glad that you came, I was really getting worried about Mahado. Ever since Nebatet's death, he's been really down, thought he tries to hide it. It's like he's become a statue, a cold and sad living statue. But you, Jasana, you've brought him back to life again."

"How can you tell, Isis?"

She smiled at me with her dark blue-grey eyes. "His smile- It's the first time I've seen him smile in over a month!"

"But what about at the banquets? He sees me then, does he not?"

"He sees you, yes, but seeing is not the same as touching, holding, talking. This is the happiest he's been since Nebatet was alive."

We then got our horses and prepared for our ride.

* * *

I appealed to my uncle to let Mahado and me ride alone. I was very uncertain of how he would react, given his attitude earlier. I had good reason to be nervous too.

"Why would you want to go on a ride alone with Mahado?" Akhnadin asked incredulously. "You know that you are not supposed to be with him alone."

"I am well aware of that, Uncle, but please, just this once! I have not had a chance to talk with him alone in the longest time!" I pleaded, looking at my uncle with sorrowful eyes. "You had told me once that you would help protect the friendship between the two of us."

Akhnadin's face softened a tiny bit. "Very well," he said slowly, "but you are only to ride beside the Nile to the farthest pasture and back." He pointed out the fraction of the river that he was referring to.

I sighed. It was not the area we preferred, but at least we would get to ride. "Thank you so much, Uncle!"

Akhnadin smilingly nodded. "But you must be back by sunset," he added before he walked away. That only gave us half an hour.

I mounted Nephthys, and Mahado mounted Bata, and we trotted to the farthest end of the allotted area from the palace. We then dismounted our horses and stood on the bank and talked.

"All of these changes make me miss Nebatet even more," I said sadly.

Mahado lovingly draped his arms over my shoulders and folded them in front of me. He laid his head on my right shoulder and sighed. "I miss her too, Jani, but do you remember her last words? 'Love will always find a way.' Do you believe that?"

I rotated my body slightly to the right in order to look him in the eye. "I want to, but I'm afraid. You know that now there is nothing to stop Meta from forcing me to do as she wills."

"I'm sure that like love, you will find a way to live as you wish," Mahado breathed.

I smiled and softly kissed him on the cheek. He smiled back and cupped my cheek with his hand. I then turned back around to face the west and let myself lean against him, and we watched as Ra passed into the Afterlife.

But out of the corner of my eye, I saw the shadow of a figure come towards us, stop, and then rush away. I felt myself fill with dread as I realized it was Seto. Seto had seen us together. And that would not bode well for us.

* * *

Indeed it did not. The next day Father summoned me. I swallowed hard and then entered the throne hall as calmly as I could. As I walked in, I saw Meta standing behind the throne and leaning in to speak to my father. Trying to still my trembling, I bowed and awaited my father's address.

Father spoke authoritatively, with all the majesty of a Pharaoh. "Daughter, since you are unable to control yourself and behave as a Princess would, you must be punished. You have willing and knowingly disobeyed orders that you were not to remain alone with Mahado, and you were so bold as to sneak out and be alone with him. Your uncle has caught you in the act and informed me of it immediately."

Now I could not stop trembling as I heard that it was Akhnadin who betrayed me. "Un-Uncle Akh-Akhnadin, Father?" I asked, hardly able to believe it.

"Yes," Father answered curtly. "And Lord Seto himself has told me that he saw you as well. Such intimate behavior is not proper for a Princess of Egypt, and for your behavior, you will be confined to your rooms until Khonsu has fully completed his cycle. You will not have any lessons, and you shall take all of your meals in your rooms. You will not see your brother, nor shall you see your friends. You will only know the company of the ladies that Meta has designated."

"What! No! Father….please…" My voice faltered as my eyes filled with tears.

"Perhaps this will discourage you from disrespecting those that strive to care for you, as you have so disrespected Meta." There was no affection in Father's voice. Meta smirked gloatingly, her black eyes shining with triumph. "You may go." Father casually waved me away.

My head was reeling as the tears spilled from my eyes. I rushed out and said to the nearest guard, "You. Pray tell me where Master Akhnadin is."

The guard bowed. "Princess, he is currently in his rooms."

"Alone?"

"To the best of my knowledge, he is with Seto."

I immediately turned on my heel and walked to Akhnadin's suite in a fit of rage. The guards at the entrance bowed, but I angrily waved them away and burst in on Akhnadin and Seto. It was a tense and awkward moment. Seto emotionless azure eyes took in my angry and tearstained face, and he quietly slipped away.

Akhnadin rose to his feet. "Yes, Jasana? What is it?" He talked as if he was completely unaware of what had vexed me so.

I was so angry that I could have driven a thousand daggers through him- yes, him! My own uncle! "You told, Uncle, DIDN'T YOU?" I burst out in tearful fury. "WHY?? WHY DID YOU BETRAY ME SO??" I broke down in sobs, and then I recollected myself and said in a lower voice, "You said that Mahado and I could ride, and then you just went around and told my father! WHY?? I **TRUSTED** you! I thought that you were on my side! I-"

"It was Seto who saw you," Akhnadin said matter-of-factly. "He came to me and told me that he was concerned about you, and when he told me what he had seen I became concerned too. It is clear that you are becoming too attached to Mahado, and giving him liberties you should only give to one to whom you are betrothed. You and Mahado are not betrothed, and it is not guaranteed that you will become betrothed. I thought it right to end this for your own good."

"For MY own good?!" I stormed.

Akhnadin did not flinch. "Yes, for your own good, to protect your heart from being broken by disappointment should you be forced to marry another man, as it is most likely you will."

"Oh, this adds wood to the fire," I said bitterly. "You had said to me that you would make sure that I had a say in who I married, Uncle, you promised me that you would help make sure that Father kept his word to Mother!" My face was completely wet with tears now.

"Things have changed, Jasana," Akhnadn said coldly.

"Indeed they have!" I had no intention to cool my anger. "The uncle I knew would NEVER betray me! He would help me to find a way to be with Mahado, the one I love! He would NEVER be so cold and so cruel to me! Who are you, and what have you done to my uncle? For you are NOT the uncle I remember!"

Now Akhnadin looked slightly hurt. "For Ra's sake, Jasana, will you be reasonable? I did not want to tell your father, really I did not. But Seto thought that it would be in the best interest of your safety. Seeing as that it would be most improper for him to approach your father, I did, but I was also concerned too! It was Seto who made me realize that to tell your father would be the best way to protect you-"

"Seto?!" I whimpered, my voice nearly drowned in my tears, and my chest heaving with sobs. "Since when did **Seto **know… what was best for me? And since when did you listen to him… and give his opinion priority… over mine?" One look at Akhnadin's unrepentant face made me realize. Anger welled in me, and I finally found my voice again. It was fueled by rage. "Oh, I see now. You LIED to me! You care for Seto more than you care for me now!! It is now Seto who you see as your child, not me!! And he- a total stranger! I see now, Master Akhnadin," I spat. I whirled around and made a move for the door.

"Jasana, wait…"

"I shall never trust you again!" I yelled at him, still tearful. "Never again shall I say that you are a father to me. I hope that you regret this, Akhnadin, I hope you regret this till the day you die, and everyday you live in the Afterlife. When you go to be judged, I hope you will remember that you discarded your niece for some stupid, arrogant, newcoming, BASTARD!" I shut the door behind me and stormed away, feeling a big rift tear in between me and my uncle. I should have known then that there would be no way of bridging the opening gap between us.

* * *

**1- The linen in the dresses that they wore in Ancient Egypt were made from flax, and it had to be spun in order to be made into cloth. **

**2- OK, I might be a little historically inaccurate with the women being confined in Persia, but it was true that women in Egypt had more freedom than their counterparts elsewhere in the ancient world. They had rights to own property, to be educated (mostly only noblewomen had this privelege), to obtain a divorce, and such. It was also not uncommon for women to have occupations.**

**Thanks for reading, as always! Please review too and give me feedback on this! I'm afraid I made it much longer than I had intended, but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless! Hopefully Chapter 20 will be up soon!**

* * *


	20. Birthday Surprises

****

Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh

**Sorry, my faithful readers, but there's not much action in this chapter, I'm afraid. I thought that the last few chapters were pretty dark and rather sad, so I decided to write a nice, fluffy, and heartwarming chapter instead. Well, heartwarming for the most part. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"Why does the Princess weep so?" Ankh-nefera murmured. "She has been like this for three days now."

"I would think you would be the first to know, Nefi," Meret whispered back. I rolled my eyes and thumped my head on the pillow, trying to ignore the gossip of The Sisters as they sat in the sitting room.

"You heard Meta, the Princess is to be confined to her rooms for a month," Teraset answered.

"Why though?" Aramen asked.

"Because she was caught being intimate with that man, Mahado. Good riddance, I say," Teraset replied smugly.

"That is vile!" Aramen broke out a little too loudly.

"Hush, sisters!" Safira warned.

"You just don't like her, Teraset, because of what happened with Kanakh!" Aramen shot back. Now I perked my ears up and strained my ears to hear.

"You don't know anything of it, Little Sister," Teraset growled, "so I suggest you shut up."

"I know enough; I know that he told you that he loved you, and that you gave yourself to him, and then some time later you caught him sniveling up to the Princess. But it was no fault of her own, and she rejected him. She even threatened him with a thousand daggers, as we all know." I felt my heart skip a beat. _How could they have known of that? _I wondered to myself. _If they know of that, then do they know of that moment between me and Mahado that followed? Well, it's not like it matters anymore…_

"It's a shame that she did not kill him!" Teraset said bitterly. "That stupid, deceitful little dungball!"

"The Princess does not deserve your hate, Teraset," Safira chided. "She has already suffered enough."

"And what be that?"

"The loss of her mother, and her dear friend Nebatet, and now she is isolated from her brother, from her friends, and the man that she loves," Aramen answered. "How can you not feel sorry for her? Look at where she is now, and what Meta has done to her. Her father has abandoned her, and even her dear uncle too."

"We are here to be her keepers," Teraset hissed, "not to be her sympathizers."

"We have been designated as her companions," Aramen replied, becoming slightly angry, "therefore we should start acting as such."

Teraset snorted spitefully. "I would expect to hear nothing else from you, Aramen. You have always admired the Princess from afar."

"Who would not?" Aramen stated boldly.

Teraset remained silent, and then Ankh-nefera whispered, "Did you say that she was being quite intimate with Mahado? I wonder how intimate…I even wonder if she is still a virgin!"

"Hush, Ankh-nefera! You should not speak of the Princess in such a manner!" Safira said firmly.

"It's too late," Teraset chimed in. "Meta has already brought it up to the Pharaoh that perhaps the Princess is not, and therefore no more than a whore…"

I could not take it anymore. I stormed in among them and shouted, "If you really must say such foul things about me, I suggest that you say it somewhere else! Get out of my sight!"

All of the sisters rose in shock and scuttled away, but Aramen remained. "Might I stay, my Lady? I would rather not go where they are going," she said timidly.

I sighed. "All right, Aramen, you may. And I thank you; I heard every word that you said, and I appreciate it."

She bowed. "It is a pleasure to serve you, Princess. Is there anything I can get you? Your Highness seems pale and weary."

"Just weary with unhappiness," I sighed as I once again withdrew to my private bedroom. I just lay on my bed and stared out at the sky, slowly drifting off the sleep. I mostly slept for the first few days into my confinement, for I had nothing else to do. As I slept, I dreamt of Mother, of Nebatet, and most of all, I dreamt of Mahado; I dreamt of him every night. I slept and wished with all my heart that I could sleep through the next month, and that by the time I woke up I would be able to see Atem, Mahado, and the others again.

* * *

A couple of days later, it was my sixteenth birthday. I woke up and sighed sadly. _Today I turn sixteen. I should be spending the day as I choose, and yet I am still imprisoned. I shall not see my friends, not even my brother, and my father in all likelihood will not even acknowledge me…this has got to be the worst birthday anyone could have, _I thought gloomily.

I rose and walked into my sitting room. Ra lit up the room so that it seemed brighter than ever before. Only Aramen was there, and upon seeing me she shouted, "Happy Birthday, Princess!"

"Thank you, Aramen," I said, smiling.

"This came for you." Aramen held out a small clay bowl filled with water to me. A red lotus blossom was floating gently on the water.

"Who did it come from?" I asked.

She shrugged. "I don't know," she said gaily, "but a message accompanied it too. I'm betting that it came from a certain secret admirer of yours." She gave me an insinuating look as she set the blossom down on the table.

I felt my heart jump. "Well, the only way to know for sure is to find out."

"In the meanwhile, I shall go and wake up my sisters. They are always so lazy in the mornings." She floated out of the room.

I opened the message. It read:

"_To: Her Highness, the Princess Sahm-Aset _

_From: Lord Seto, High Priest and Holder of the Millennium Rod_

_Greetings, Princess. May the gods bless you on this day, sixteen years from your birth. May you find happiness and joy." _

I suspiciously eyed the blossom, as if there was something hidden in its petals that would jump out and attack me. I inspected the small square of parchment on which the message was written. It felt very fine to the touch. Apparently Seto had used the finest, and most expensive, papyrus he could get his hands on. I shifted my gaze back to the lotus blossom. Red lotuses were not grown in Egypt. It was rather large as well, and I wryly wondered how much Seto had paid for that blossom.

_Why would Seto send me something on my birthday? And why would he wish me to find happiness? He is the reason that I am exiled to my rooms in the first place! _I scrunched up the message in disgust and returned to my bedroom. _If only that blossom came from Mahado…_

As I entered my bedroom, the subtle fragrance of lotus blossoms tickled my nose. I saw that there was another lotus blossom sitting in a bowl of water in front of the mirror on my dresser. But this lotus blossom was white.

I froze for a moment. _How did it get there? It was not there when I woke up… _

I noticed that a fragment of broken pottery was sitting beside it, and so I picked it up and read it.

"_Happy Birthday, Jani. As I write, I am sitting in the lotus garden that you love so much. I can only imagine how sorely you miss the beautiful fragrance of the blossoms in bloom. So I send you a blossom from the garden, hoping that it will provide some small comfort to you in your loneliness and sorrow. I only wish that I could give it to you myself. _

_I was told that you were punished because you fulfilled my wish, and I deeply regret that. I can understand how lonely you must be, but know this: Your brother is lonely without you, Isis and Karim are lonely without you, and so am I. We all shall be thinking of you- I am thinking of you constantly, and longing for the day when your confinement is over and we can all be together again. _

_Forever Your Loyal Friend, _

_Mad." _

Happiness welled up within my heart, and I feverishly read the message again twice. I then thought of Mahado, and I wondered if he was still in the lotus garden. _Does he long to see me, just as I long to see him?_

I heard footsteps coming, and so I quickly took Mahado's message and knelt down on the left side of my bed, the side that was closest to the balcony. I placed my hand on the cold clay bricks and murmured, _"In the name of Jani, the daughter of Hathoraset, open." _The bricks immediately moved aside, revealing a small space where I had hidden the chest holding the things I valued the most. I opened the chest and put the broken piece of pottery inside, and then I sealed the cache, just as the person walking entered my room.

I walked out and saw that only Aramen returned. "Where are your sisters?"

"Well, they have woken up at last," she said lightly and sarcastically. I couldn't help but chuckle. "But they are still beautifying themselves. They always take forever over their cosmetics; Meret's the one who cares the most for her appearance." She rolled her eyes.

"Ah, I see," I replied, "but they can take all the time they need. I am quite fine being here by myself."

"Actually, I don't think you will be seeing much of them today," Aramen said mysteriously.

"And why not?" I asked teasingly.

"Because there is someone in the anteroom that has come to see you, and he has taken measures to prevent my sisters from coming in." Now a grin was spreading across Aramen's face.

I gazed in confusion at Aramen, and she gestured towards the anteroom. I tentatively entered the room, only to be nearly knocked over by my brother.

"Sister!" Atem screamed as he hugged me. "A most glorious and Happy Birthday to you!"

"Brother!" I exclaimed in elation. "What... How…?"

"I appealed to Father to overturn his order, just for today. After all, it is your birthday! How could he order you to be in isolation for your birthday? I've brought you lunch too!" I looked behind him to see a table laden with my favorite foods. "It's just you and me for now, but I have an extra-special surprise waiting for you tonight."

"What kind of a surprise?" I asked, my heart already pumping with joy.

"If I told you, then it would no longer be a surprise, now would it?" Atem replied, giving me a mischievous smirk. "You will have to wait until tonight, but I promise, Jasana, you will love it!"

"I'm sure I will," I said, managing to laugh.

So Atem and I ate and talked for a long while. I was deeply touched at this small gesture of kindness from him. I missed being able to spend time with him. As we ate, I laughed more at his jokes than I had ever laughed in the past few months; he could always find a way to bring a smile to my face.

"So, did you receive Mahado's gift?" Atem asked anxiously.

"Do you mean that beautiful white lotus blossom? Yes, I received it this morning."

"I heard that Seto sent you one too, a more exquisite red one. I heard because he was bragging about to it Mahado, saying that only those who afford the love of a Princess will gain it."

"He did not!" I gasped, covering my hand with my mouth. "Since when did he get so bold?"

"I do not know." Atem shrugged. Then he dropped his voice to a whisper. "But Uncle Akhnadin has been treating him quite favorably of late."

"Yes, he has," I said, my face becoming clouded.

"But let us not think of him," Atem said suddenly, realizing how upset I was getting. "It is your special day, and it will be wonderful, I promise."

"You have already made it wonderful, Brother," I replied gratefully.

"Thank you, and tell me- Did Mahado's blossom cheer you up substantially? It's ten times better and more beautiful than Seto's blossom, is it not?"

"It's a hundredfold better," I agreed.

"And I bet the message is more meaningful and better too! What did it say?" Atem's cheerfulness was very contagious.

I caught myself blushing slightly. "His message is meant for me alone, Brother."

Atem's mouth pursed into an adorable pout, and then he said, "Well, it's not like I cannot guess what he said: Dear Jani, my life is so empty without you. You are as important to me as the Nile is to Egypt…"

"You little rascal!" I teased as I playfully swiped at his head. He ducked. "Where did you get a line like that? A child of eight years old such as you could not have thought of that!"

"Why not?" Atem asked innocently. After I fixed him with an unbelieving look, he confessed, "Fine, I overheard it from Karim as he was teasing Mahado."

"So he's into this game of yours too," I mused.

"It's really amusing, and when Seto comes around, all of our teasing gets to him too! Because he knows that you love Mahado, and he resents it! He's sweet on you too!"

"Let's not talk about Seto, Atem," I said quietly.

"Very well, for that's enough talking that we've done." Atem then pulled me up and gently pushed me to the door. "Now, Sister, I command you to go and take a walk, a very LONG walk."

"But Father forbade me from leaving my rooms," I argued.

"Again, I've begged him to lift your punishment for today. Go do something: Visit Nephthys, go for a ride, or better yet, go and look for Mana. I've told her to hide somewhere so as to give you something to do. Then, when you find her, go on a ride with her; she is eager for one."

"It's going to take me forever to find her!" I exclaimed.

Atem laughed. "That's the point."

"What about Meta and the Sisters?"

"Ah, Meta and the Sneaky-Snake Sisters…Don't worry; I've given them something to do, something that will keep them occupied for the whole night. They will not be bothering you today." With that, he gave me a wink and pushed me out into the hallway. "Oh, and don't come back until Mana says you may, and don't look as you walk away either."

"All right," I said cheerfully. I walked down the corridor and into the rest of the palace. _I'm free, for now, that is…How kind of my brother, I really will have to repay him one day…_

* * *

As I wandered through the palace, taking in deep gulps of fresh air, I heard a low voice say, "I have done as you suggested, Akhnadin. I sent her the red lotus blossom." I pressed myself to the wall and looked into the room. Seto was sitting with Akhnadin at a table, talking over a scroll.

"Good, Seto, that is good," Akhadin said approvingly. I resented how fatherly he was being towards him.

"Do you think she'll like it?" Seto asked, sounding a little apprehensive for once.

"I do not doubt that she will," Akhnadin replied confidently. "When her punishment is lifted, show her some more signs of devotion, and she shall be yours."

"Should I approach the Pharaoh tomorrow?"

Akhnadin hesitated. "No, wait until her exile is over. Actually, wait until a few days before, and then approach the Pharaoh."

"But what about that other man, Mahado?"

"He shall be dealt with accordingly, should there be signs of them becoming close again…"

I pulled back, trembling with fear, and then ran away to go and find Mana, like I was supposed to be doing.

* * *

Mana kept me entertained for the rest of the afternoon. She was really quite a handful!

"The Prince has something awesome in store for you!" she said cheerfully when our ride was over and we were walking within the palace once again. "Oh, I can't wait!"

"Wait for what?" I asked, hoping to wheedle out of her what was really going to happen. I was just about to explode with impatience.

"I can't tell you," she answered childishly. She glanced at a nearby sundial, and then said gaily, "Well, now I have to go and play my part. You are to wait here." She gestured to the lotus garden. "A servant will come and fetch you when the time is right." Mana then happily skipped away.

I sighed and sat down in my favorite spot, inhaling the scent of the fresh blossoms. The only sound I could hear was the flowing of the water. For the first time since Nebatet's death, I felt content and at peace.

* * *

Soon, a female servant said, "Your Highness? The Prince bids you to come to your rooms now." She escorted me to the corridor and left me alone to walk into the anteroom myself. The air was thick with mystery and suspense. Taking a deep breath, I stepped inside.

"SURPRISE!" several voices shouted in unison. I jumped in shock at the sight before me. Colorful banners hung on the walls, and before me stood the people that I held dear: Atem, Mana, Isis, Shada, Karim, and Mahado.

"Oh my!" I breathed. "How did you manage to pull this off?"

"I begged Father profusely," Atem answered, "and Father almost always grants me whatever I want when I do so. Therefore, he let me bring all of your friends here."

"You honestly did not expect us to stand by and let you be all alone on your birthday now, did you?" Karim teased.

"We decided to make an extra effort, since it was most likely that you would be especially despondent," Isis gently added, flashing a smile at Karim and at me.

"Thank you!" I cried, hugging Atem tightly. I looked at everyone and beamed. "All of you. This is the nicest thing you have done for me thus far."

"Oh, it's a small thing to do in return for everything that you have done for me- for us," Atem said casually. "Now let's dine!"

That was one of the happiest nights of the year. I was free to spill my heart out to my friends, and they were free to tell me of the latest news of the palace. I sat next to Mahado, and we were all in high spirits that night.

After we dined, I demonstrated for them the Image-Freeze spell that Mother had invented. I froze an image of Atem and me, and one of Mahado, Karim, Shada, Isis, and myself. I made copies for each and every one of us.

"Very impressive, Sister!" Atem praised. "Though this likeness is poor compared to the real you. I guess it will have to do while you are gone."

"How did you come to be confined to your rooms, Princess, if I may ask?" Shada stared at me inquiringly.

"Yes, I am wondering that as well," Karim said. Mahado's face turned dark.

"Well, Mahado and I went on a ride alone…" I started. I then told them of what transpired between Father and me, and Akhnadin and me. They all gasped in shock.

"But Akhnadin is a father to you!" Isis's eyes were wide with confusion. "How could he do such a thing? I thought that he looked out for your benefit!"

"Apparently not anymore," I replied grimly.

Shada shook his head. "I really do not know what has gotten into him. It's like he woke up one day and then turned all stiff, distant, and cold towards anyone but Seto. You should really see how he is these days when he's teaching lessons; it's like he will hardly talk to anyone but Seto. Do not take it personally, Jasana; he's been like this for a while now, and to all of us."

"But there are certain days when he seems to be normal," Karim stated. "Some days he will be normal, and some days he will not."

A pause settled over us, and then Atem changed the subject. "Let's show Jasana her presents! I'll go first." Atem led all of us to a corner of the anteroom. He placed his hand on the wall and revealed a secret passage. "Mahado helped me out on this one, Sister," he explained. "The passage leads to a room fixed specially for you to practice your magic. Any magical spell or chant, and it's enchanted so that no one shall hear you, and only you shall be able to get in."

"How wonderful! Thank you, Atem!"

Isis, Karim, and Shada then presented a beautiful statue of Aset carved from white marble. "May she protect you in these troublesome times and give you strength," Isis blessed.

Karim turned to Mahado. "Mahado, you have a gift for Jasana too, do you not? I put it in her sitting room. Why don't you go and show her?"

Mahado blushed and led me away from the others. We sat down on a couch together. I said softly, "Thank you for the blossom, Mad, it really did cheer me up."

"I'm glad that it did," Mahado murmured gently, his eyes very warm. But then a shadow flickered through his eyes as he said, "I'm sorry; it's my fault that you are in this situation-"

I gently placed a finger on his lips, half-frightened at my own boldness. "It does not matter; I would have gone with you anyway, no matter what. It's my uncle that betrayed me, Mad, you are not to blame."

He smiled at me tenderly, and then he picked up a black chest from the table. "Your mother left this to my mother to give to you when you reached sixteen years of age."

I opened the chest. Inside were more scrolls, and more frozen images. One was of Mother, Nebatet, Mahado, and me, and there was also one of Mahado and me alone, when we were younger. "Mad, look!" I squealed. "That's us, when we were so young!" I smiled a bittersweet smile. "That was an eternity ago…how things have changed since then! Back then, I thought I would never see the day when Mother was gone, and Father ignored me. I never thought that I would be here, isolated and in the grasps of a treacherous snake. I never thought that I would be betrayed by Uncle…" My voice faded away, and I wiped away a few tears.

Mahado put two fingers under my chin and lifted my face so that my bright turquoise eyes met his dark blue ones. "Yes, a lot of things have changed, Jani," he said slowly, "but one thing still remains the same."

"What is it?"

An indescribable glow diffused across his face. "I love you. I've always loved you, but I was too afraid to tell you. And I will always love you. To me, you are more than just a beautiful Princess. You are the very air I breathe, the very strength in my step, the reason that makes living worthwhile. It's always been you, Jani, you, and no other."

My heart soared higher and higher with each word he said. "I love you too, Mad," I whispered in pure delight.

His eyes lit up as he tentatively moved closer to me. I slowly leaned towards him, and my eyes closed as he softly touched his lips to mine. It was a magical moment. My arms came around his neck as I returned his kiss. His arms wrapped around my waist as he pulled me closer to him. His kiss became deeper, and it sent a flurry of sensations tingling throughout my body. The moment seemed to be gloriously long.

Finally we slowly and gently pulled apart, and I laid my head on his chest as he held me close. It felt so serene and peaceful being there in his arms. I wanted him to hold me forever and never let me go.

"Jasana? Mahado?" Isis stood at the doorway. "The Prince and the others are taking their leave now."

Mahado and I returned to the anteroom. I stood before everyone else. "It's certainly going to be lonely without all of you." I wished that the night would last forever.

Atem hugged me. "You won't be lonely for long," he said cheerfully. "I'll find another excuse to bring you out of this prison, and I'm working on setting you free. Father is half-convinced already! You'll be out in no time, you'll see…"

Karim and Shada bowed before me. "So farewell, Jasana, until we see each other again," Karim said.

"Thank you."

Shada then walked out with Atem, but Karim turned and looked at Isis. "I'll stay with Jasana for a little while longer," Isis told him. He nodded his head slightly and disappeared into the darkness.

Now, besides Isis, only Mahado remained. Isis smiled at me knowingly and said, "I'll be in your bedroom, Jasana." She slipped out of the room, leaving me alone with Mahado.

We gazed at each other, at a loss for words. Mahado gently pulled me towards him, and I melted into his embrace. He whispered into my hair, "Be patient, Jani, somehow we will find a way to be together." I nodded, overwhelmed by the flood of shivers running throughout my body. He softly kissed me once again before he disappeared into the darkness along with the others.

I drifted into my bedroom, and Isis caught a glance at my beaming face. She took a brush and started to brush my hair, just as she used to do. "And so, he has confessed," Isis mused gently

I smiled even wider, and Isis beamed triumphantly back at me in the mirror. "Finally! It's about time, it's about time."

Another thought invaded into my mind, poisoning the bliss of the moment. "But Isis," I started tentatively, "what about Seto?"

I told her everything that I had seen between Seto and Akhnadin. Her smile faded a little, morphing into one of shock and fear, and it slowly became one of determination. "His 'affection' is no match for Mahado's love. Do not worry about Seto, Jasana. Everything will work out, just you wait and see. Mahado has finally told you, and that is the most important thing right now."

Isis and I talked late into the night, as we used to always do before Meta separated us. When at last I grew weary and fell asleep, Mahado's words echoed through my dreams: _"I love you, I have always loved you…and I always will."_

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please review too, and let me know what you thought of this chapter! It might be a little cheesy, but there had to be some relief in Jasana's depressing isolation, and I wanted to show more of the brother/sister relationship between Jasana and Atem...Next chapter coming up soon!**

* * *


	21. The Proposal

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh. **

* * *

Atem did not succeed in shortening my isolation, but he got Father to allow him to see me everyday, and to take the evening meal with me on the nights when there were no formal banquets.

Also, thanks to him, I could now go on a ride every single day. Meta did not like this one bit though, and she tried to overturn Atem's request. But Atem challenged her face to face in front of Father, and she was forced to concede, or so I was told. But someone always had to escort me, and Meta managed to make sure that the escort was never Mahado. Isis sometimes managed to get away from her lessons to escort me, but more often than not, Karim escorted me in her stead. The Sisters only rode with me twice, and when they did, I always out-galloped them since they rode mules instead of horses.

On one of these days, Karim said to me, "Mahado wants me to tell you that he has finally managed to summon his ka!"

"That's wonderful!" I exclaimed. "He's finally done it! I can't wait to see it!"

"Of course, like all of our kas it is quite weak, but it's still among the strongest of ours. Not even Seto's Duos can match it."

"Am I falling terribly behind?" I asked apprehensively. "I wish that Father would at least let me keep up in all of my lessons. I'll be years behind the rest of you by the time I can learn battle magic again!"

Karim chuckled slightly. "Do not worry about falling behind; I'm sure that once you get back into using your heka, you will be just fine. After seven days, you're sure to be at the head again, like you always are."

"Don't be so sure," I rejoined. "Remember how you and the others managed to summon your kas before I did?"

"And have you managed to summon yours?"

"Yes, and I have named her 'Empress Witch'. However, I have not been able to test her abilities in battle yet." (1)

"What a curious name," Karim said thoughtfully, "very coincidental indeed…"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, upon the Prince asking about the late Queen's ka, Shimon told us that Queen Hathoraset's ka was named 'Queen Sorceress'. To have a ka with a similar name to hers is quite coincidental. It's a rare occurrence; children hardly have kas that are similar to their parents. My father's ka, for one, is nothing like my own."

"Well, that just means that I have an extra dose of my mother's spirit then!" I said playfully.

Karim smiled, and then his face turned grave. "Pray Aset you do, for you shall need it, I'm afraid."

My cheer faltered. "Why?"

"Meta's planning something else in store for you."

"What sort of something?" I asked slowly.

Karim shook his head. "I do not know. But it's best if you brace yourself for what is to come."

* * *

When my punishment had ended, Father summoned me. On the way to the throne hall, I caught a brief glance of Atem walking with Mahado. Atem waved to me, and Mahado gave me a small smile. I smiled back before I turned and followed the guard to the throne room.

The guard announced me, and I slowly inhaled, mustering the poise and strength that I had. Then I stepped into the throne room. I was apprehensive, for I had come to learn that there would be times when it would seem like Father hardly knew that I was his daughter, and there would be times when he was a true father to me. More often than not, he was the first instead of the latter.

I swept a graceful bow and said smoothly, "Father, you wished to see me?"

Father smiled graciously and dismissed everyone else from the room. "Leave us," he commanded, "I wish to speak with my daughter alone." _Well, he seems to be in a kind mood today, _I mused to myself, _or is that just because Meta is not hanging around? _

Father rose from his throne and walked to my side. "Let us take a walk, Jasana."

As we strolled through another one of the palace's many gardens, Father said, "You have grown quite a bit in the last month, Jasana."

I did not know what to say. "Is that so?"

"Yes, you have. It is clear that you have every bit of your mother's beauty. So naturally, there are many men who would want to marry a woman such as you." Father paused and regarded me in silence.

I nervously kept my gaze fixed on a particularly colorful plant. "But surely there is only one man who is worthy of my hand in marriage, yes?"

"Yes, and I have an offer from such a man." My heart quickened its pace. I dared to think, _O Aset, could it be Mahado?_ "He made me an offer a few days ago, actually, before your isolation came to an end. He is a fine man indeed. He is loyal, strong, and capable in the battle arts as well."

"Who is the man?" I asked, my stomach fluttering with nervousness and anticipation.

"It's Seto; Seto wishes you to marry you."

I stopped walking as my heart seemed to drop to the floor. "Seto?!" I whimpered softly, my voice suddenly failing me. I sat down on a bench, trying to mask my shock.

Father gently sat down beside me. "So what say you, my daughter? I think that it's a very fine match, probably one of the best that you can make."

I stared at my hands in my lap. "I-I don't know what to say. I do not even know Seto, and he hardly knows me!"

"That can be easily fixed. It will be a while until the wedding takes place, so the two of you will have ample time to get to know each other."

I felt sick with dread. Father was already talking as if I had agreed. "Must I marry him, Father, or do I have a choice in this?" My voice was hoarse as tears started to build up in my throat.

"It would be a most wonderful match for a Princess such as you, and the people of Egypt would love it," Father said straightforwardly. "But I would not want you to be unhappy. Think about it, and let me know when you are ready. After all, I made a promise to your mother that you would have a say in your marriage. If for any reason you cannot come to love Seto, let me know. But I want you to be aware of the fact that sometimes love comes after one is married. So think about it."

"I will, Father," I said as obediently as I could. With my knees shaking, I rose and left the garden. When I had turned the corner, I quickened my speed and ran to the stables, not caring about whether or not Meta would be mad at me. I ran to the padlock where Nephthys was, and then I slowly settled on the dust and leaned against the wooden post. I put my cheek to the warm wood and sobbed. I knew that Seto's proposal should not have upset me so much, but it still did.

Nephthys ambled towards where I was sitting. She lowered and stuck her head out through the wooden boards and gently nuzzled my shoulder. I reached out and scratched her ears.

"What am I to do, Nephthys?" I cried. "It's clear that Father really wants me to marry him, and undoubtedly the match delights Meta." I closed my eyes and steadied my breathing in an attempt to think. _I could go to my uncle, and ask him to help me. But wait- Uncle highly favors Seto. In all likelihood he agrees with Father on this. He's not going to take my side, not anymore..._

"If I was to reject Seto," I said to myself, "then there's no telling of how he will take it, and how others will take it as well. What if Father and Uncle were to be mad at me? And Meta would be furious, and then what? But then, if I was to accept, just to please everyone…" I could not finish that train of thought.

My horse gently shook her head, as if to urge me to refuse the proposal. I sighed and hugged my knees. I sat there for a while in contemplation, with thoughts in my head racing as fast as the wind.

Suddenly a voice interrupted my thoughts. "Jasana? What is troubling you, Sister?" I gazed up into Atem's deep amethyst eyes. "You've been crying." He sat down next to me. "But I see that Nephthys has been keeping you company," he added cheerfully as he reached out and patted the black mare on her nose. "Good horsie."

A small smile spread across my face, but then it faded. "Are you upset because of the fact that Seto wants to marry you?" he asked gently.

I gaped at my brother. "How did you know of that?"

Atem sheepishly stared down at the golden armbands on his wrists. "Well…I was hiding in a pot near the garden, you see. I had managed to get away from Mahado, and I was trying to conceal myself because I didn't want to go to another boring lesson. Then you happened to be nearby with Father, and so I just overheard you. I did not want to, but then again I can't just go deaf on command, you know."

I lightly chuckled. "I guess not. But did Mahado overhear as well?"

"I do not know, but once Father was gone, he lifted me out of the pot, so I think he was waiting for a good time to get me out." He paused, and then he continued with heightened cheer, "Anyway, it's getting quite warm out here, why don't we go back to the palace and get some shade? It's almost time for our lesson in battle magic, and about seven days ago I summoned my ka for the first time! I really want you to see it!"

"You've already summoned your ka? That's incredible!" I said softly.

"I know," Atem replied carelessly, "Shimon said that he's never seen a boy almost nine years old manage to summon his ka already! It's extraordinary, or so he says." He impatiently pulled me to my feet and dragged me along. "Come on! Let's go!"

I smiled at his burst of enthusiasm. "All right, just don't pull on my arm so much!" We quickly walked back to the palace.

* * *

When we reached the courtyard, Shimon smiled kindly at me. "Welcome back, Princess Jasana. I must say we missed having you with us."

"We did," Shada added. Isis beamed brightly at me. Seto just watched me with his usual distant expression. Seeing him stare at me made me uneasy, and I shifted my gaze to Mahado. Once our eyes met, I immediately pushed all the dark thoughts out of my mind.

"It's good to have you back with us, Jani," he said softly and tenderly.

"I'm glad to be back with you again," I replied, whispering so that only he could hear me.

"Mahado, why don't you show Jasana your ka?" Isis suggested.

"Oh yes, please summon it! I want to see what it looks like!" I begged.

Before Mahado could summon it, Seto sneered, "Why would you want to see that weakling that Mahado calls his ka, Your Highness?"

I purposely ignored him and focused my gaze on Mahado. "Summon it," I commanded gently.

Mahado stepped back, drew in a long breath, and said loudly and clearly, "Illusion Magician, I bid thee come forth!" A shadow appeared beside him, and it materialized into a small figure wearing blue-gray armor holding a green staff in one hand. It stood straight and bowed before me.

"Behold my Illusion Magician," Mahado stated gently.

"All right, my turn," Atem said. He closed his eyes in concentration. Soon a big brown hairball materialized beside him. Two black eyes popped out, and then it grew arms and big feet, and started jumping around as if it had just swallowed a huge dose of honey.

I suppressed a laugh as the hairball bounced up to me and nuzzled me. I patted it. "Well hello, and what is your name, little one?"

"His name is Kuriboh," Atem answered proudly. I laughed; his ka matched him exactly.

Kuriboh bounced around, snuggling next to everyone. Last of all, it charged towards Seto and knocked him to his feet. Now everyone was laughing hysterically as Kuriboh gave Seto a big hairy hug. Seto's facial expression was priceless.

He snarled, "Get this fluffball off of me!"

Atem was laughing too hard to call Kuriboh back, but after he calmed himself he chuckled, "All right, Kuriboh, that's enough." Kuriboh left Seto's side.

"Well, he seems to like you especially, Lord Seto," I said snidely. _"Though I can't see why,"_ I mentally added to myself.

Seto growled with irritation as he struggled to his feet. He wiped the brown fuzz off his previously clean and unruffled priestly robes and straightened his headdress.

"All right, everyone, that's enough," Shimon ordered. He then turned to me. "Princess, I have been told that you have succeeded in summoning your ka. Pray bring it forth."

I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes, envisioning my ka in my head. She appeared right before me. "Come forth, Empress Witch!" Once again a woman in blue appeared by my side, and she seemed to be glowing with an inner radiance.

"I haven't been able to get a feel for her powers yet," I said feebly.

"That is fine; once a ka has been summoned for the first time, it takes a while for the connection between master and ka to be established," Shimon explained.

"I suppose so." Suddenly a stabbing pain pierced my heart. I clutched at my chest and reeled a few steps backward, and then I collapsed.

"Jani!" I fell straight into Mahado's arms. "Are you all right?" I groaned in pain as the pain intensified.

"What's wrong?" There was panic written in every word Isis said.

Shimon instructed calmly, "Tell your ka to retreat, Princess."

"Empress Witch…retreat…" My ka immediately disappeared.

I leaned against Mahado's upper arm, breathing heavily. Shimon's face was dark. "I suspected something like this would happen." Everyone that had crowded around me looked at him. "Come Mahado, let's take Princess Jasana to the medical wing. Shada, will you go and summon Lord Serewakht?" (He was Mahado's uncle, and the Priest of the Millennium Ring.) "Isis, go and call for Lady Aseneit. We will need both of their expertise in this matter. Seto and Karim, go and inform the Pharaoh, but tell him that it's no cause for alarm."

Seto hesitated. "Perhaps Mahado should go with Karim to the Pharaoh, and I shall carry the Princess to the medical wing," he offered. I instantly knew why he would make such a proposition.

"This is no time for being picky about roles," Shimon said firmly. "Now go!" Karim disappeared down the hall, and Seto shot one resentful look at Mahado before following suit.

I struggled to get up, but Mahado tightly gripped me. "You are not well, Jani! It's best if you let me carry you."

Shimon nodded. "Yes, it's best, Princess."

Mahado gently picked me up. If I was not in agonizing pain, I would have been half-delirious with joy at being in his arms.

He set me down on a bed in a small room. Lady Aseneit and Mahado's uncle were already there. Lady Aseneit examined me first. After asking me several questions and taking my pulse, she stated, "The Princess is perfectly healthy, but very much weakened. She will need to rest here for three days at the least."

Lord Serewakht examined me next. "Permit me, Princess." He placed two fingers on my forehead and closed his eyes. After a while, he opened them and pulled his fingers back. "Lord Shimon, the Princess's heka has weakened."

"It's just as I suspected," Shimon said.

"What's happened to me?" I asked nervously. Mahado soothingly stroked my shoulder.

"It's nothing to worry about," I breathed a small sigh of relief, "but since you have not been extensively using your magic lately, as I suspected that you were not able to, your heka is not as strong as it used to be. It's only slightly weakened, but it was enough to put a great strain on you as you summoned your ka. Heka can also be weakened through great stress, such as the loss of a loved one would incur, and through extreme exhaustion."

"So what is she to do?" Mahado asked.

Lord Serewakht answered, "Well, Princess, I'm afraid to say that you should not engage in any particularly taxing magical activity for now, so you will need to take a break from ka summoning. However, you still can partake in other acts of battle magic, but for only short periods of time. Find some time to meditate every day to clear your mind, and do everything you can to stay healthy. When you perform magic, be sure to calm and still your mind, and try to perform simple, little spells at least twice every day. That should slowly but surely strengthen your heka, and get it accustomed to being used. Then you will be able to summon your ka without it being painful again. But for these three days, rest as much as you can. Do not try to attempt magic, because then otherwise your heka just might get weaker."

Shimon nodded, and together he and Lord Serewahkt left the room, and only Mahado remained.

Tears sprang to my eyes. "My heka is fading…"

Mahado took my hand and tenderly kissed it. "But you'll get it back, Jani. You'll get it back, don't worry."

I smiled a small smile. "I hope so."

Mahado gently stroked my cheek. "I know you will."

We remained in silence for a while. _Should I tell him about Seto? He deserves to know…_

"Mad…" I rasped out.

He brought his face closer to mine. "What is it, Jani?"

"I have to tell you something…" I choked, and then I let out a huge and drowsy yawn.

Mahado gently hushed me. "You are exhausted; you should sleep now. Whatever it is, you can always tell me later."

I shook my head, trying to force myself to stay awake. But my body seemed to resist, and my voice seemed to have already left me. I didn't have enough energy to tell him about Seto; it would take too long. "It's…important…" My voice was only a faint thread. "Just know that…no matter what happens…I'll always love you."

He smiled down at me. "And I will always love you, Jani. Now sleep…Sleep, my love." His voice lulled me, and I finally fell asleep, never letting go of his hand.

* * *

Everyone took turns to sit with me during the first two days that I was bedridden. Atem stayed by my bedside most of the time when he wasn't busy, along with Mana, Karim, and Isis. Mahado came with Atem only once. One time, my uncle appeared at the doorway. As I regarded him, memories of our last encounter swept through my mind.

My face hardened, and I greeted him through gritted teeth. "Uncle. What brings you here, if I may ask? Have you come to try and catch me being intimate with Mahado again?" Akhnadin recoiled at the harshness of my tone.

He slowly and reluctantly entered the room. He paused a short distance away from the bed, and then he prostrated himself before me. "I've…I've come to ask for your forgiveness, Jasana," he said humbly.

His humility did not convince me. I was still very angry with him. "Oh, so you want me to forgive you for: having Father isolate me to my rooms for a month, for having him forbid me from being with my friends, including Mahado, and my brother, and turning against me for Seto?" I glared at him, ignoring the guilty look on his face. "Do you honestly think it would be that easy for me to forgive you?" I asked waspishly. "Do you have any idea of how painful your actions were to me? I cried for days, Uncle! Days! It really cut deep, you know."

Tears filled Akhnadin's eyes. "I know, Jasana, but please, believe me. I do not know what got into me that night, and I truly, truly regret everything that I have done. I was not in my right mind! If I was, I would have never betrayed you, and even if I had favored Seto over you, I would never turn my back against you. And you should know that I do not favor Seto over you." His voice broke. "Please forgive me, my little Princess."

I turned away from him. "Get out," I muttered harshly.

Akhnadin did not hesitate. He rose and slowly walked out of the room. But then I heard a sob, and then my heart softened just a little. But when I turned around to call him back, he was already gone.

* * *

On the third afternoon, I was sitting up in my bed when I caught a glimpse of a shadow standing by the door, half concealed from my sight. I gazed at the figure in curiosity. "Who's there?"

I made out that the figure was a man, and then I instantly realized who he was. He did not need to tell me. It was Mahado. "Mad?" I whispered softly.

He stood before me in the doorway, looking completely brokenhearted as he gazed at me. Tears were falling down his face as he stared at me longingly.

Seeing him like this sent a pain that pierced my heart. "What is it, Mad? Come in, you can tell me; I could help you." I stretched out my hand to beckon him in, but he did not move. He stared at me for a brief period of time, and then he rushed away. "Mad!" I cried out. _What's happened? Have I done something? What's going on? _

Then I heard laughter, evil laughter that sent shivers running down my spine. Meta appeared in the doorway, her laugh becoming louder.

"What have you done?" I demanded.

She just laughed and glided out of view.

* * *

That night, Meta reappeared in my room. "How dare you show your face to me! Get out, snake," I spat in a low and dangerous voice.

Meta just laughed again. "What is the matter?" she asked mockingly. "Is the little Princess upset because she is stuck in bed and helpless without her heka?" Her tone hardened. "You should be thankful. It is because of me that you have an offer from such a fine young man as Seto. Do you honestly have any idea how lucky you are to get any offer of marriage, given your scandalous behavior and your tarnished reputation?"

"I am the luckiest woman in the world indeed, if I have such a wench as yourself caring for me and a man as cold and lifeless as stone wishing to be my supposedly 'loving' husband," I boldly and sarcasticallly fired back.

Meta's eyes flared with rage. Then she collected herself. "A fine husband he would make, that Seto! You are wrong to judge him so quickly. He pleases your father, and he would please the people."

"But what if he does not please me?"

"It does not matter. What matters is that he is the perfect man to be by your side and make sure that you act as a Princess would. It is your duty to make your marriage work. It will serve as an image of unity to the people. Your father wants you to marry him, therefore you should, so as to hold up the authority of your father and king."

"What of love? Marriage is supposed to be all about love, is it not?" I argued. One would think that by that time, I would have known better than to degrade myself by arguing with Meta.

Meta snorted. "Love is for fools, such as your mother."

I rose to my feet. "How dare you insult my mother! She is ten times the woman that you will ever be, and she was not afraid to love! 'Love is for fools.' I expect to hear nothing better from someone like you. I wonder, maybe you say that because you have never had someone who loved you. You never had a husband, did you? It's no wonder, for who would want to marry someone like you?" A small part of my mind warned me that I was making a mistake in standing up to Meta when I had did not have my full heka to defend myself, but I ignored it.

Meta was stiff with fury. "You are in no position to make such comments, Princess Sahm-Aset. And you will regret insulting me. I did have a husband, but your mother killed him, that damn witch." My jaw dropped in shock. Meta smirked. "Yes, your mother was not the wonderful woman you believe her to be. She was a horrid woman, and your father, though he appeared to be devoted to her, could not stand her. He had the magicians cast a spell on her to kill her upon giving birth to her son. And do you know why? She lusted for power, and her power was rivaling that of the Pharaoh himself! She overstepped her boundaries as wife and Queen, and she paid the price." She then suddenly changed the subject. "By the by, I came to tell you that I have informed the Pharaoh that you have consented to marry Seto, and if you overstep your boundaries, then you also will pay the price." Her voice was soft but her tone was threatening; it was like a snake hissing before it strikes.

"How dare you! I have not consented! I have no intention of consenting!"

Meta smiled malevolently. "It is too late, Princess Sahm-Aset. Now it is official, and like it or not, you will marry Seto."

"And if I refuse?" I boldly asked.

Meta hissed, "It is useless to refuse. You see, now that Nebatet is dead, I have every power over you. You are helpless. And how do I dare to say these things? I dare to say these things, Sahm-Aset, because now I am in control."

"Don't call me by that name!" I screeched. "I am Jasana! And I'll go to my father and tell him of your treachery! You won't get away with this! My friends will protect me!"

"Your friends?" Meta taunted. "Your friends have abandoned you. Face the truth, Your Highness, you are alone. There is nobody by your side. Your father won't believe you; he highly approves of the match. Even your dear Uncle is greatly inclined to the match.

"And if you really did want to stop me, how would you do it? Your heka is vanishing, and it shall only fade away as time passes by! The Priest only told you that it could return to its former strength because he could not bear to tell you the truth. He's like that, you know; he cares too much about the opinions of royalty to tell them gruesome truths, like his pathetic nephew, your dear Mad- is that what you still call him? Yes, he is especially upset, because I have told him that this decision is yours, and yours alone. Isis and Karim are too busy to even be bothered with you. You are mine now…"

"No I am NOT!! I am not yours! I am NOBODY'S puppet! I will NOT marry Seto, and you WILL regret everything you just said! I am Jasana, I am the Princess of Egypt, and nobody controls me! I am not Sahm-Aset, your good-for-nothing figurehead!"

Meta's evil smile widened. "You are wrong; you are Sahm-Aset now. I had your name changed, and you see that I have power to do more than that. I have your father dancing on a string…" She paused, and then continued, "I even have the power to kill you if you should rebel anymore, but I think not- you shall live and see the consequences of your actions in misery. Marry Seto, and you will be isolated from your friends and your brother for good, and you shall watch them fall one by one. If you do not marry Seto, I shall shut you away as a Priestess and send you away to Karnak. You shall be far away from the palace, and there will be no one in my way to the throne. Your dear Mad will join his mother, and the rest of your friends will follow, and your dear brother as well-"

"And how do you plan to do that?" I challenged. "My brother is well-protected."

"Is he now? Well, I have my ways, I've already tried once…and I would have succeeded with the help of my minions had it not been for your interference."

"You should be hung for your treachery!" I growled.

"Oh, and that's another thing." Meta murmured a spell, and black chains wrapped around me and dissolved into my skin, despite my desperate attempts to defend myself. "My involvement in the previous plot to kill the Prince is our secret, and if you even try to tell anyone, then you will instantly die. When I strike, I will succeed. And then finally, I will have my revenge. Your pitiful slut of a mother will then see, that there is only one Queen that was destined to sit on that throne, beside Akhenamkhanen, and it is, and shall be, me…"

* * *

**1- For the record, there isn't an actual duel monster named Empress Witch, at least to the best of my knowledge there is not.**

**Sorry, but it would just be too easy to have Mahado and Jasana be able to marry right after they professed their love for each other. This is going to be Jasana's biggest challenge yet, because her heka is also fading...**

**I must have read and reread and typed and erased and retyped certain parts about 20 times or so! But there's always bound to be one mistake that I missed, and I'm still not satisfied with the ending portion. I'll probably edit some more when I get the time...**

**Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review and tell me what you think! Next chapter will come out in two weeks at the earliest, because it requires serious editing.**

* * *


	22. Abandonment

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh**

* * *

_I am in a place completely surrounded by darkness. There is nothing in sight but a big black chasm, and I am all alone. _

_Suddenly a man appears in front of me, and I immediately recognize him. "Atem! Where are we? What are we doing here?" I take a closer look at him. He's definitely Atem, but he's a taller, muscular, and more serious version of my little brother. Along with his tunic, he's wearing a shorter kilt, and a dark cape as well. _

_Suddenly Meta appears in front of us, and then she turns into a black creature with red eyes. This dark creature reaches out and grabs my brother. The adult Atem immediately turns into the familiar boy that I know. _

_He finally seems to see me, and he stretches out a hand to me. "Sister! Help! Please, save me!" _

_I desperately try to move, but I can't, and I watch helplessly as he disappears into the darkness. _

_"Atem!" I cry out._

_Then I hear Meta's laugh, and her face appears again, contorted with malevolence. Her words ring throughout the chasm. "You are helpless. You can do nothing now…"_

_Not even knowing what I am doing, I fall to my knees, crying. "Please, I'll do anything…anything you say. Just don't hurt Atem!"_

_She laughs, and then I'm falling, falling, while murmuring repeatedly, "Don't hurt Atem…Don't hurt Atem…"_

"Sister, Sister! Wake up!" I woke up with a rasping gasp and sat straight up in my bed. "Calm down; you're shaking!" A pair of arms wrapped around me, and I realized that it was Atem hugging me

"Atem!" I hugged him tightly. "You're…you're all right…"

"Of course I am," he said gently. "It was just a dream, but by the looks of you, it was a horrible dream. You're still trembling."

"Am I? The dream felt so real…"

"But it was still just a dream," Atem repeated. "I'll go and get you a cup of water."

"What time is it anyway?"

"I'll check while I'm at it." Atem dashed out of the room and returned shortly afterward. "It's four hours past midnight."

"What are you doing here, if I may ask?"

He sat down on the edge of the bed. "I wanted to keep you company for the night, so Father let me stay in the room next to yours." He pointed towards the left side of the room.

"How kind of you, Brother. I really appreciate it." I turned quiet as I remembered what Meta had said to me. At that moment, I realized how much I loved my brother. I was willing to do anything to protect him; I was even willing to let myself be married to Seto if it somehow meant that Atem would be completely safe from harm.

Atem's gaze perused my face. "You're going to marry Seto, aren't you?" he asked softly.

I looked down at the soft blanket. "I guess I am."

His eyes hardened. "Why did you accept his proposal? I thought that you loved Mahado."

"I do, Atem," I said quietly. "I did not choose to marry Seto; Meta and Father are forcing me."

His jaw dropped. "But it's not supposed to be like that! Why can't you refuse? You're supposed to be marrying Mahado!"

"It's complicated, an adult matter," I replied sadly.

"Well then, adults are foolish," Atem pouted. "When I become Pharaoh, I'll let my daughters marry whoever they want. They shouldn't be forced to marry someone that they don't love." He ran a hand through his hair. "There has to be a way around this."

I sighed disbelievingly. "If there is, now is not the time to discuss it. You should be asleep."

"I suppose you're right," he said as he yawned. He sweetly hugged me again. "Sweet dreams, Sis."

"Sleep well, Atem," I replied. He took the candle and walked out of the doorway.

I lay down and turned on my side. But tried as I might, I could not sleep anymore; I kept thinking of Meta's threat, and I stayed awake until Ra's light lit the east.

* * *

For the first time in my life, I felt really and truly alone. My brother was too young to understand the position that I was in. Mahado, I deduced, was probably too upset to even speak with me. Isis was very busy, as Meta had said, and she was not very helpful when I had last asked her about Meta taking control over me. My uncle was probably still under Seto's spell, and I was not desperate enough to try and trust him again. The best chance of advice came from Karim. During our rides, he and I became closer, and I came to see him as a sort of older brother. I could have trusted him, but something held me back from doing so.

The next day, when I arrived at the stables, I found Karim waiting for me as usual.

"I tacked up Nephthys for you," he explained when I saw that Nephthys had already been bridled and saddled. "Since you just got released from the medical wing, I thought that I would help you out a little."

"Thank you, Karim." I smiled at him in gratitude. "But why is there a third horse saddled and bridled as well?"

He looked behind him in surprise. Before he could say anything, someone else said, "I shall be riding with you today, Princess, along with Karim." I stiffened at the sound of that loathsome dry voice. Seto appeared beside us.

"Might I ask why you are riding with us?" I asked, my voice sharpened with a slight edge.

Seto never changed his expression. "I thought that we should get to know each other a little bit more, Princess, and what better way to become acquainted than through a ride?" Karim's eyes widened in shock as he heard what Seto said.

"Very well," I said ungraciously as I turned to mount Nephthys. Before Seto made a move to help me, I had already grabbed a hold of the reins. Karim also had mounted, but Seto had not. "If you want to ride with us, you might as well mount your horse."

He calmly mounted as Karim and I rode out of the stable yard. Karim brought his horse alongside mine. "Isis told me. Does he really mean to marry you?"

I nodded solemnly.

"Ah, and do you love him?"

"Of course not!" I murmured angrily. "Honestly, Karim, I do not even need to answer that question! You know the answer very well!"

Seto pushed his horse into a trot to catch up with us. I asked Karim, "How is Mahado doing?"

Seto answered snidely, "He has been very sad of late. I suppose he still hasn't gotten over the loss of his mother yet. How very unfortunate it is that he lost her when he still needed her."

My face hardened into a frown as I kicked Nephthys into a canter. As we rode along, Seto poked more degrading remarks towards Mahado, and soon I found myself wanting to return to the palace.

"Karim, shall we return to the palace? I still haven't fully recovered, I suppose." I momentarily shifted my eyes towards Seto so as to tell him that I couldn't stand another minute of Seto being around.

Karim seemed to understand. "Do not exert yourself, Jasana; we shall return to the palace. Don't you agree, Seto?"

"Very well then," Seto said dryly.

When we returned to the stables and had dismounted our horses, Karim asked me in an undertone, "What's wrong, Jasana?"

I sighed. "Everything, just everything."

* * *

I did as Lord Serewakht had commanded. I practiced performing simple spells, and I succeeded every time. I also meditated, which I found to be quite calming. When I joined Atem and the others for a lesson in the battle arts, I practiced battle spells while they learned how to summon kas that belonged to others. However, I soon found myself feeling excluded as everyone else made quick progress without me.

A month had passed after I fainted. One day, when our lesson was finished, Atem said to me, "Jasana, Father told me that now you can join us for every battle lesson! Isn't that awesome?"

"Someone talked to him and convinced him to let me, right?" I asked indifferently, being in a sour mood.

"Uncle Akhnadin did!" he answered happily. "Now really, that has to cheer you up a little bit, even a tiny bit."

I smiled so as to please him, though my mind was churning with confusion. _Uncle turned his back on me, and now he's helping me out? Why?_

* * *

At the next lesson, Shimon decided that I was ready to attempt summoning my own ka again. Everyone was standing by and watching as he said, "Take in a deep breath, Princess, and clear your mind. Then, when you are ready, bring forth your ka."

I closed my eyes, doing my best to clear my mind of all negative thoughts. Then I stretched out my arm. "Empress Witch, come forth!"

As soon as my ka appeared, pain shot through every part of my body. I tried to call back my ka, but before I could, I collapsed onto the ground.

I regained consciousness a short while later. This time I was leaning against Isis's shoulder.

"That was more painful than the last time," I said faintly.

Mahado gingerly picked up my hand. "What are you doing, Mahado?" Seto asked disdainfully.

"My uncle has been teaching me the ways to measure a person's heka," Mahado calmly answered. He closed his eyes in concentration. When he opened them, he kept his gaze away from my face. He had not looked me in the eye since the day that Meta first threatened me. He also had not spoken to me since then. "I'm afraid to say that your heka is weaker than before, Jasana." My jaw dropped open at how detached he appeared to be. _"Jasana"? He's hardly called me by "Jasana" before! Why is he doing it now?_

_Mad, please, just look at me! _I thought desperately. As if he had heard me, Mahado met my gaze. His eyes were filled with despondency and pain.

Atem thoughtfully scratched his head. "Well, we mustn't give up hope. Shimon, do you think that if Jasana trained with you every single day, her heka would regain strength?"

"It wouldn't hurt to try," Shimon said uncertainly. "But for now, it would be best for the Princess to rest."

"Mahado, why don't you take Jasana to her rooms?" Atem asked.

"Seto can," Mahado replied. His own words seemed to pain him just as much as they pained me.

"I can walk myself," I said shortly. I struggled to my feet and walked away, with Isis escorting me. I looked at Mahado, and he looked back at me. My eyes filled with tears as I turned and looked away. _I hate Seto! If he hadn't proposed to me, Mad wouldn't be so sad that he won't even talk to me anymore! Most of all, I hate Meta. I hate her so much I wish she could just die and have her soul swallowed by Ammit…_ (1)

* * *

Much to my horror, my heka grew weaker and weaker. After two months, I was having trouble performing the upper-level battle spells that I used to be able to do without thinking twice. Shimon could not figure out why this was happening, nor could Lord Serewakht and all the other magic experts.

As my heka faded, so did my confidence. I started to doubt myself more often, and Meta took advantage of this. She took every opportunity possible to remark on how Seto and I would make a perfect couple, and the mental pain it caused was quite like the physical pain I would feel if she were to put salt on an open wound.

I also started to doubt the things that I had never doubted before. I remembered Mother as being a noble and just woman, but the things that Meta had said distorted those memories into a big and confusing mess. It occurred to me that perhaps I did not know my mother that well after all, and with that realization came a profound feeling of loss that also ate away at my confidence. I could not be sure that Meta was telling the truth, but then again I could not ensure that she was not. The agony that this caused hurt, a lot.

Mahado was still distant with me, and that hurt the most. I often found myself crying at night, and unable to put a finger on exactly why I was crying. Sometimes I cried out of longing for Mother and Nebatet; sometimes I cried because I could not figure out a way to reach out to Mahado, and other times I simply cried because of the burden everything was putting on me.

Father, believing me to be stressed out because of my imminent marriage to Seto, put the wedding on hold until I was feeling better. That might have bought me some time, but I still felt despondent. My friends noticed this, and Atem noticed as well. He tried everything in his power to cheer me up. Sometimes he partially succeeded, and other times I just played along so he wouldn't get hurt.

I was sitting in the lotus garden one day in the sixth month when Atem showed up yet again. Kuriboh was floating beside him.

"Still depressed, Sis?" he asked lightly.

"My heka still has not strengthened," I replied sadly, "and Mahado is still being distant with me."

He hugged me, and Kuriboh also gave me a fluffy hug. "Actually, Jani, I think it's you that's being distant with everyone," he said softly. "But maybe Mahado's being distant because he does not want your reputation ruined, because now that you are to marry Seto, things are going to have to be really different."

"I don't want them to be so different then," I said mournfully.

He grasped my hand. "Well, never mind that now; it's time for another battle lesson with everyone else."

"What's the point of going to these lessons if I can't even do anything?" I asked bitterly.

"It must be really frustrating for you, Sister, I know." He looked at me sympathetically. "But you must not give up; everyone has problems at one point or another. You had trouble summoning your ka, but eventually you summoned it. Likewise, your heka might be really weak right now, but it'll eventually get stronger than it ever was before. So come to the lesson, please?" Now Atem's eyes were begging.

I sighed. I could never refuse my brother when he pleaded with his eyes. "All right," I said exasperatedly. "I'll go, and I'll try to regain my heka."

Atem smiled. "That's the spirit!" We rose and made our way to the courtyard.

* * *

When we arrived, Shimon said to me, "Greetings, Princess. Now, today I will have you perform a spell that you could probably do in your sleep." He revealed a standing figure made of wood. "I will have you conjure daggers- the ones that transform into water upon impact- and aim for the figure's heart. You've practiced this many times before, so hopefully it will pump up your heka."

To my relief, I managed to conjure the daggers, and Mahado performed the water-transformation enchantment to ensure that they would not hurt anyone. But when I tried to aim one at the figure, none of the daggers would budge. Again and again I tried, and again and again I failed. Frustration built up within me, and I finally let out a huge scream and fell on my knees. As I screamed, the daggers multiplied and shot out everywhere, soaking the entire courtyard.

I looked and saw that everyone was perfectly dry; Mahado had performed a Shielding Charm. "Well," Atem said optimistically, "at least you know that you still have some heka left, Sis."

I smiled with genuine happiness. "That's true."

Though I still could not get a single dagger to move for the rest of the lesson, that one outburst gave me hope. That hope was also reinforced when, at the end of the lesson, Mahado murmured, "Jani, could I speak with you for a brief moment? It won't be long, I promise."

"Yes, Mad, you may."

Atem and Isis heard us. "Isis and I will cover for you, Jasana." My brother winked at me. Isis approached Karim and whispered into his ear. Karim then grabbed Shada by the arm and murmured some words to him, and together the both of them lured Seto down a corridor. Atem and Isis disappeared to stand guard at the two entrances to the courtyard, and Mahado and I were alone.

We stood in awkward silence for a while. He paced around, and then he finally faced me and said, "Forgive me for keeping you here. I just had to ask…I need to know…" His voice faded.

"What is it, Mad?" I asked softly. "Please, talk to me."

He looked at me with a pained expression. "I must know…if I have offended you in any way…"

"You have not," I said assuredly. "Why do you ask this of me?"

"You have not been yourself. Something is troubling you, but you have not confided to anyone- not the Prince, not Isis, not even me. Has anything happened that would cause you to doubt my love for you…or anything that has propelled you to revoke your love for me?"

"No!" I gasped, tears filling my eyes. "I never doubted you, Mad; please…please do not doubt me! All my love belongs to you…not to Seto. I can never love Seto…because I love you!"

Now Mahado's voice became passionate. "If you love me, then tell me what has been troubling you! I hate to see you like this- sad, without confidence, and without hope. The Jani I know would not let herself fall into this state, and even if she did, she would let her friends help her. So tell me, what is going on?"

My gaze dropped to the ground. "Please don't ask me that, Mad," I begged softly. "As much as I want to tell you, I cannot."

He sighed and ran his hand over his face. "And why not? For I don't understand why you are doing this, Jani; I don't understand why you are agreeing to marry Seto-"

"I have never consented to marry Seto! That was Meta's doing!" I replied fiercely.

"Having your name changed, isolating you, taking away your sorcery lessons- all of that was Meta's doing," Mahado said steadily. "But you never gave up, and now you are…and you're not asking anyone for help! I don't understand why."

"Exactly, because you cannot understand the position that I'm in!" Sobs started to build up in my throat. "No one can ever understand!"

Mahado came closer and took both of my hands in his. "There has never been anything that you hid from me," he said gently. "Nor has there ever been any problem that I held from you, save for the question concerning whether or not to tell you how I feel. You can tell me, and I will do my best to understand and help you. We all want to help you, but you will not tell us what has been troubling you."

"I can't, Mad…I can't…I'm sorry, but I'm being forced…I have to marry Seto-"

"No, you do not!" Mahado took me by the shoulders. "Jani, look at me." His eyes were a mix of desperation and sadness. "You do not have to marry him; there is a solution to this problem, whatever it is! We can find it together! I won't give this up, what we have, don't you give it up too!"

"Mad, I'm sorry…I really am," I sobbed. "But for your sake, for Atem's sake, I have to do this."

"Why? Just tell me why!"

I could not take it anymore. "Because…because…she's threatened me, Mad!" I whimpered. "She said that if I was to refuse Seto, she would send me to Karnak, and shut me away as a Priestess! Then she'll kill Atem, and she'll kill you, and Isis and the others too! Then she will take the throne of Egypt! And if I was to tell, then she will kill me! And with my heka as weak as it is, I can't protect myself against her- she cast a spell on me two months ago- and I can't protect my brother either! Even at full strength, I cannot possibly protect five people or more!" I was now crying too hard to continue. I composed myself for a little while, and then I managed to finish, "I'm willing to be the most miserable woman in the kingdom, if it means that I'll be able to protect the people I love somehow."

Mahado let me go for a moment and stepped back in shock. He looked so sad; I could not bear to look into his eyes. "Meta might seem to be more formidable than ever, but she cannot touch you as long as you are surrounded by others, my love," he said softly. "You do not have to do this alone. We can protect the Prince, Jani, and we will, I swear to the gods that we will!" Tears filled his eyes now. "And we can stop Meta, without you having to throw yourself away like this…please…all I ask of you, is that you don't despair, don't do this…"

"I don't want anything to happen to you," I whispered sadly. "That is also part of the reason why I am doing this. I would do anything to ensure that you'll be all right, that I won't lose you…"

"Do you not think that I would do the same for you? For the Prince? I would die before I let any harm come to your brother, and I would gladly lay my life down for you! Has it ever occurred to you that I don't want to lose you too?" He let out a despondent sigh. "But alas, see, I already am losing you…"

Atem ran into the courtyard. "Sister, one of your handmaidens is coming! I'll hold her off, but she's bound to come here sooner or later. Hurry it up!"

I numbly nodded and looked at Mahado once more. My heart was crumbling more and more with each passing moment. It was clear from the sadness on Mahado's face that his heart was close to breaking as well. He took my hand and pressed it to his heart. He said softly and urgently, "I beg of you, Jani, to think carefully, and listen to your heart. It's a great burden that you bear, I know, but don't give up. Don't give up on yourself, for I have not given up on you. You've come so far through all these years…and if you were to give up now, then you might as well have been Sahm-Aset from the moment you were born."

At that moment Atem and Isis rushed back into the courtyard. Atem grabbed Mahado by the arm and pulled him away. Mahado kept his gaze on me, and to this day I remember the deeply sorrowful look on his face. Isis stood by me as I attempted to wipe away the tears.

Then Teraset casually glided in. Her dark eyes took in the sight of my tearstained face. "I've been sent to come and find you, Princess. We were getting worried when you didn't return to your chambers after your lesson."

"Forgive me, I was speaking with Isis," I said in a mechanical voice. "I shall return to my chambers now." I nodded to Isis, and then I quickly walked to my suite with Teraset at my heels. I waved her away with the rest of the Sisters and shut myself in my bedroom. I flung myself on my bed and cried until Ra had descended in the west.

* * *

**-shakes head- Jasana seems to put way too much weight on her heka, doesn't she? **

**1- Ammit was known as the Devourer of the Dead. If the soul of the deceased was found to be heavier than the Feather of Maat (see Chapter 3), it was judged to be heavy with sin and therefore given to Ammit to devour. **

**-Whew!- This was an incredibly hard chapter to write. It was difficult capturing the sense of loneliness and despondency that Jasana is feeling. If you have any constructive criticism, now would be a good time to say it. **

**As always, thanks for reading, and don't forget to review too! This will probably be my last chapter until school ends on May 23rd. If I am lucky, I will be able to update the week of Finals, but not before then, I'm afraid. **

**-JJ-**


	23. Answering the Call part 1

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh**

* * *

I stood moodily on the balcony of my bedroom, alone. It was a bright day, but my heart felt as dark as the night. I did not sleep the night before; Mahado's deep sorrowful orbs kept haunting me, and our last conversation rang in my ears. His words made me realize that if I was to marry Seto, then everything indeed would be different between us. Seto would never permit me to be alone with him; it was clear that he loathed him. And in all likelihood Mahado would forever be distant with me. Yet I could see no way out. What else could I do to protect my brother, and to protect all of my friends? We had all been protecting Atem, and he still came close to being poisoned. Mahado had said that we could find another solution, but I could see none.

A small and hesitant voice broke the sullen silence. "Princess Jasana?" I turned around and saw Aramen lingering at the entrance. "The Prince is here to see you, and he is pleading to be admitted."

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "Tell him that he may come in."

Aramen disappeared and was soon replaced with Atem. I only greeted him with a mournful glance.

He thoughtfully scanned my face in silence. Then he gently took my hand and led me back into the room. "Come, Sister," he said softly, "let us talk." We sat down on the edge of my bed. I blankly looked ahead of me. Neither of us spoke for a while.

Atem sighed and said, "Mahado's acting just like you too. He won't look at anything in particular, and he didn't eat much at the evening meal last night. I even warrant that he stayed up crying, because it shows on his face, and just as it shows on yours."

At the mention of Mahado, I started to cry. Atem's arms gently came around me and my tears fell into his hair. Finally, I started to speak. "Oh Atem, everything is ruined! Mahado will probably never talk to me again; I've hurt him too much, a-and I'm lo-losing him alto-together!"

"For once, Jasana, I do not know what to say. I do not understand this; Father should not be forcing you to marry Seto when it is clear to everyone that you love Mahado. And I've just turned another year older, and supposedly gained a lot more wisdom that I didn't have when I was eight, and I still don't understand."

Atem's childishness brought a small smile to my face. "It has only been a little over a month since you turned nine," I reminded him. "It takes time to gain wisdom, Brother, a lot more than just a month."

"If only there was some way to avoid the marriage to Seto," Atem said thoughtfully. "Then if Father won't let you marry Mahado, you could wait until I become the Pharaoh, and then you will be free to marry him."

"Avoiding the marriage is hardly likely to happen," I replied gloomily.

"I know that." He let out an exasperated sigh. "By the by, I've brought you your midday meal, since you probably would not want to leave your rooms." I saw a tray sitting on the dresser table.

"I'm not hungry, Atem."

"Are you sure?" Atem asked worriedly.

I nodded. "I'm sure."

He shook his head. "We have to find a way around this," he said bluntly. "Otherwise I think you and Mahado would simply just starve yourselves to death."

He took the tray and exited the room. Then he came back in and resettled onto the bed. Silence hung over us, and then his eyes lit up with a moment of revelation. "Why don't you go and appeal to Father, Jasana? Surely he would listen to you, would he not?"

I said bitterly, "He doesn't treat me the same way he treats you. He won't listen to me, and Meta has ways to ensure that, like it or not, I will marry Seto."

"How do you know?" Atem challenged. Something in his voice had hardened.

I shrugged. "Father has never listened to me. Why would he now?" I asked in a mechanical voice.

"But the thing is that you're not trying!" he retorted impatiently. I jumped slightly; Atem had never been cross with me before. "How will you know that Father won't listen to you if you don't even try? He didn't before, but he just might this time." He stared at me dubiously. "Do you actually want to be trapped in a marriage with Seto?"

I became slightly angry. "Of course not! But what's the point of trying if I already know what's going to happen?" I flared.

Atem's eyes widened. For a moment I was afraid that my voice had been too harsh. "What's the point of trying?" he repeated softly. His voice then became louder as he continued, "That's like asking why I have been trying to cheer you up for the past few months, Sister! Most of my attempts have been in vain for the most part, and I know it! But I keep trying, Jani, because I believe in you! I know that you have strength, and all you need is someone to bring it out. Likewise, you can be freed of Meta's grasp, but you have to fight for it! You might be frustrated now, it's normal, but the important thing is that you pick yourself up and carry on! The same goes with your heka. You keep trying and trying to regain it, because you know it's still there, you have hope!

"Mahado hasn't given up hope- you should know this- because he trusts you and he loves you! Did he not make it plain enough when he spoke to you last night? He's willing to do anything so that you won't have to marry Seto. I heard it from his very lips! If you love him too, then that gives you every reason to try!"

Silence settled over the both of us once again. I could not find anything to say to Atem's outburst. He quickly glanced at the sundial and calmly asked, "Will you go to learn battle arts with us now?" It was as if we had never been arguing.

I shook my head. Atem sighed and murmured slowly, "Very well, I will leave you to your thoughts then, Sister. But I'll be back, and I hope that something I've said has gotten through to you. I'm still here for you, and so are the rest, but you are isolating yourself. In this case, it is not Meta who is taking away your confidence, it's you." He gently hugged me before he left.

Once I was alone, I succumbed to sobs once more. _Maybe Atem's right, maybe I am doing this to myself, but what else can I do?_

* * *

That night, Isis came instead of Atem. She held a tray of food for me. "The Prince has sent me to you with this," she said. "He took extra care to pick your favorite dishes and send them to you."

I stared at the food in silence. Isis said insistently, "Eat. If it was Mahado bringing this to you instead of me, he would want you to."

I still wasn't hungry, but I was tired of my own misery, and I was tired of being stubborn when all Atem and the others were trying to do was help. I took the tray and I ate in silence.

When I had finished, Isis passed off the tray to one of the Sisters, and then she settled down beside me on a couch, and I could tell that she was getting herself ready for an in-depth discussion. She took in a deep breath, and then she said bluntly, "Now, Jasana, if you consider me as your friend, tell me everything that has been troubling you." As if she could mentally sense my hesitation, she continued determinedly, "I won't leave until you tell me something, so you might as well start talking."

I blinked at her. First Atem had been cross with me for the first time that I could recall, and now she was being the more assertive out of the two of us. Not being in the mood to resist, I started, "Well, for starters, I feel so lost, Isis. I don't know who I am anymore, and I don't know about my mother. Meta told me things, horrible things…"

"Such as…?" Isis prompted.

"That she lusted for power, that Father didn't love her and…and wanted her dead!"

Isis gaped at me disbelievingly. "And you actually listened to her? Since when did you accept Meta's word as the truth? Since when did Meta tell anything but lies? For Ra's sake, Jasana, you should know better than that!" Her voice remained soft, but her tone was as hard as the marble in the statue of Aset that she, Karim, and Shada had given me.

I shrugged, as if it didn't matter anymore, as if nothing mattered anymore. Isis shifted her gaze to my hair, and she gently ran her fingers through it. "By Aset, your hair is a mess," she mildly stated, changing the subject. She immediately grabbed a brush and started to brush it. With every word she spoke, and everything she did, she acted with the authority of a mother. "When was the last time you brushed it?"

"I guess I was too busy crying last night to brush it," I said faintly.

"Ah." After a pause of silence, she spoke again. "I know of Meta's threat, Jasana, I've known of it all along. The least you could do was to ask us for help. Don't take on problems like these by yourself."

I turned my head slightly towards her. "How did you know?" I asked, thoroughly surprised, but relieved nonetheless.

Isis laughed a little. "Did you think Meta was the only one with spies? She was in the medical wing after all, and people are always around. She was such a fool to threaten you there in the first place. But then again, she always has been a fool anyway."

"It's not like it matters anymore," I said sadly, "because now I've cut off everyone, I've even cut off Mahado…"

"Today his heka was weakened, and so he was sent to the Sacred Sanctuary to strengthen it," Isis replied straightforwardly. "He will stay there for the night, and return tomorrow. It must have taken something very drastic to drain a powerful magician such as him of his heka, and I know it has something to do with what the two of you were talking about yesterday." She sighed a little. "Is that why you've been isolating yourself from everyone- because you think that none of us can understand your situation? Forgive me for saying so, but that is no excuse, Jasana. It's no excuse for you to suddenly shut yourself to your brother, or to any of us, especially to Mahado. Out of all of us, he's the one that cares the most for you and is always trying to help you."

"I did not tell you because of Meta's threat."

"Meta's threat?" Isis said mockingly. "Meta's threat is empty! Ah, Jasana, how foolish you have been to think that Meta could actually carry this plan of hers through. First of all she is not even that powerful of a spellcaster!"

As if she could not contain herself anymore, a great flood of words poured from her mouth in one big gush. "I heard everything that you said to Mahado, that with your heka gone, you cannot protect the Prince, and you cannot protect yourself. Your heka might be gone, but you still have us! Your brother is willing to do everything in order to help you, and so am I. And have you forgotten that you are protected by Aset? By the spirits of your mother and of Nebatet? You are surrounded by people who love you and are perfectly capable of protecting you." At this, she gestured towards the frozen image of her, Karim, Shada, Mahado, and me, and the one of Atem and me from the night of my sixteenth birthday. "Meta's evil is no match for the power of the bond that ties you and the Prince, you and Mahado, you and the rest of us."

I was at a loss for words. I had never heard Isis speak so much at once. She calmly placed her hands on my shoulders and finished solemnly, "So before you say that you have to marry Seto, think again, Jasana. Just think. If you were to marry Seto, would you still be Mahado's Jani, my friend, and the Prince's beloved sister? Or would you be surrendering yourself to be Sahm-Aset, the unfortunate puppet of Meta, as Mahado says that you are? You might not think that you have a choice, but you do. You can either live in misery as Sahm-Aset, or you can put up a fight with everyone you love by your side, and triumph as Jasana. And even if you must die because of it, would you rather die as Sahm-Aset, whose soul belongs to Meta, or as Jasana, who never gave up her spirit and stayed true to herself, and died because she would never give up? As I have said before, it's your choice." She then rose and left me to ponder over everything she just said.

I lay back on my bed, mentally exhausted. I did not cry; I had already cried so much it would seem that I had no more tears left. Instead my head swam with bits of the things that I had heard from Mahado, from Atem, and from Isis. They all wanted me to think, and so there I was, thinking. But soon I became drowsy, and I fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

_A woman is standing in a room filled with Ra's golden light. Her long dark hair flows freely down her back, and it flutters in a soft breeze, and her face remains hidden._

_Then a child of two years of age or so appears and walks towards her on unsteady feet. The woman turns around and picks up the child, smiling. She smiles tenderly down at the child in her arms and gently rocks her. Her face is vague; I cannot see her features. _

_A man walks in, and upon seeing the woman his face fills with love. He walks over and gives her a lovingly long kiss. He smiles and takes the child out of her arms and into his. I've seen him before, I can swear that I know him, but why can't I see his face? The woman- she seems so familiar, as if from a distant memory, but I can't remember her…_

_"All well, my love?" he asks her _

_She gazes at him lovingly and smiles a beautiful smile. "Yes, the both of us are doing quite well. I just caught our daughter trying to write with a reed pen on papyrus!" She shows her husband a piece of papyrus parchment with some rough markings on it. _

_He laughs and asks the child, "Going to be a little scholar one day, are you?" The little girl smiles and nods eagerly. _

_"She's a clever one," the woman says approvingly. She strokes the girl's cheek. "My little talented jewel." I've heard that phrase, yes, I have, I know it! Oh, if I can only remember!_

_The man draws her close to him with one arm and gazes into her eyes. "__Our__ little talented jewel," he corrects her…_

_Suddenly the environment changes and they both disappear. I find myself standing in another room filled with golden light; it is a bedroom. I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and see a beautiful, adult female face staring back. I also notice that I have a small round belly. "What's this? I'm pregnant?!" I think to myself. _

_Mahado walks in, and upon seeing me he pulls me into a passionate kiss. I nearly swoon with delight; this feels so real. I bring my hands behind his head as I kiss him back. _

_He kisses me again and again. We pull apart, and he murmurs in a low voice, "You don't know how happy I am, Jani." His eyes- his deep, loving eyes- lock with mine as he raises a hand to caress my cheek. "I could not ask for a more beautiful wife, and I know that our baby will be the most beautiful little child in the world." He then wraps his arms around me and gently nuzzles my neck softly with his lips. I run my fingers through his hair as I feel desire welling up within me…_

Mahado's touch faded as my eyes flew open. I sat up and tried to still my jumping heart. For a moment I didn't know where I was, and I looked around me in confusion. Then I realized with a sinking heart: _It was just a dream, but nothing ever felt more real. I could actually feel his lips on my neck, and his arms around me…_

A gnawing pain gripped my heart and hit me like a cold wave of water. _In that dream, I was Mahado's wife, and we were going to have a child…But I am to marry Seto, and then it won't be Mahado's child, but his, and it won't be Mahado's arms around me, but his…and his lips on me…_

I shuddered violently at that thought and hugged my knees. Somewhere inside me there was a big hole opening up, and a feeling of emptiness tore through my soul. I closed my eyes and tried to think as two tears ran down my cheeks. _Someone help me, I don't know anything anymore. I want so much to protect my brother, but I can't stand the thought of marrying Seto…_

A soft breeze tickled the air, and out of nowhere I heard a faint voice say, "Love will always find a way." I opened my eyes again, not knowing whether the voice had been real or if it had just been my own imagination. But it did not matter. Memories of Nebatet came flooding back to me, and along with them came the memories of Mother. _I had a dream of her too! She was the woman, and that man…that man was Father! And that child must have been me! They were holding me, the both of them, they loved me…_

It hit me as suddenly as a sandstorm. _By Ra, I've been such a fool! _I smacked myself in the head. _Meta was wrong, Father and Mother loved each other! I was so stupid to actually believe everything she said! I've been letting Meta poison my mind and I've been letting her isolate me from my friends! I'm letting myself be trapped into a marriage with Seto…_

I stood up. "I do NOT love Seto," I said in a low and angry voice to no one in particular. "I do NOT want Seto!" I had never fully realized before what it meant to love someone, but that dream told me. Images of Mahado and me together, both from the dream and from the recent past, flashed through my mind. Now I knew: Love was the pure ecstasy that I felt when he kissed me. Love was the content completion I felt when I looked into his eyes. It was the desire to stay in his arms forever as he held me; it was the longing as I felt him kiss my neck in my dream, and the cold, biting loneliness I felt when I woke up without him there with me. "Mad," I whispered to the empty room, "my love, my one and only love."

I felt that there wasn't that much time to spare. I threw on one of my plain linen dresses; I didn't bother to line my eyes with kohl or adorn myself with jewelry, save for the armbands that I always wore. Then I dashed out of the bedroom. Aramen, the only one of the Sisters in the sitting room, jumped up when she saw me. She bowed and murmured, "Princess,-"

I walked right past her, saying, "Stay here, Aramen."

"Where are you going?" she asked timidly.

I turned around on the threshold to face her. I answered simply, "I'm going to set things right."

* * *

**The next chapter is where the action really begins. But I haven't even started it, so it might take me a while. TWO more weeks left of school!! I'm just about done, but it's going to be a VERY busy summer, and so I might not get as much writing done as I would like. **

**Thanks for reading, and please don't forget to review! I would really like to see what any of you have to say. :)**


	24. Answering the Call part 2

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh.**

**So, now I'm back from the beach, and fully refreshed and ready to go! A day at the beach was just the getaway that I needed. Just to warn you, this is a LONG chapter, probably just as long as Chapter 19. But hope you enjoy anyway!**

_

* * *

_

Tell-him-tell-him-tell-him-tell-him.

I quickened my speed as my pounding heart urged me on_. Tell him. Tell him, it said with every beat._

_Yes_, I thought, _I would tell him, but what would I say? What if he didn't want to talk to me? What would I do then?_

As all these doubts raced through my head, my blood screamed louder, _TELL HIM! TELL HIM! NOW! NOW! NOW!_

Remembering that Mahado was gone, my feet carried me to Atem's rooms. The guards standing at their posts inclined their heads in respect as I passed by. I rushed into Atem's bedroom and gently shook him awake. "Brother, wake up!"

Atem lazily opened his eyes. "Sister?" Yawning, he sat up and rubbed his eyes. "What are you doing up so early? It's only the eighth hour of the day!"

"Atem, please tell me when Mahado will be back!" I pleaded breathlessly.

Atem thoughtfully stroked his chin for a moment. "I don't know," at this, his mouth opened into another huge yawn, "but I can find out." He hopped out of bed and summoned a nearby servant. "You there! Go and find Master Serewakht, and inquire about when Lord Mahado will return to the palace. Tell him that the Prince wishes to know." The servant bowed and disappeared.

Atem turned to me with an eyebrow slightly raised. "Might I ask why you seem so impatient to speak with Mahado?"

I ran a frustrated hand over my face. "I've been such a fool, Atem, and I know it. By Ra, I can't believe that I didn't realize this before! No, I don't want to marry Seto! That is not what I want!"

"You've said all along that you don't want to marry Seto, but you were going to anyway because you are being forced. What is so different about this time?" he asked curiously.

"I didn't know what to do; I didn't know what it was that I wanted," I admitted softly. "But now I know. I want Mahado. It will be Mahado or it will be no one for me. And I have to tell him, before it's too late."

Atem's face lit up with a smile as he pulled me into a tight hug. "I knew it! I knew you'd come around!" he exclaimed triumphantly.

"Is it too late for me to go to Mahado?" I asked tentatively.

"It will never be too late for you to go to Mahado. I would worry about it being too late with Father. You should tell him as soon as possible," my brother replied, his face lit with his beaming smile.

"I'll tell him now then."

He nodded. "I would go with you, but I can't just walk around the palace wearing only my sleeping kilt."

I shot him a quick smile, and then I turned and ran to the throne room. The only sound I could hear was my footsteps singing in unison with my beating heart. _Tell him…tell him_… whispered my heartbeat over and over again.

Finally, I reached the door to the throne room. These guards, unlike the guards in Atem's chambers, gazed at me with questioning glances. They quickly moved and blocked my way.

"I must speak with my father," I panted.

"His Excellence is currently in a very important meeting with his council, Princess," one of them stated shortly. "You cannot see him now."

"Please, tell him it's important!"

The guards glanced inquisitively at each other, and then they straightened their stances as a shrill voice hissed, "What's this?" Meta appeared at the door. Her eyes widened as she saw me. "Roaming around without being properly dressed or properly adorned!" she barked. "Have you gone mad?! Go back to your rooms and properly dress yourself at once!"

"Lady Meta…" one of the guards started tentatively.

"What?" she spat.

"The Princess wishes to speak with her father on an important matter." The guard kept his eyes fixed on the ground, as if he was afraid that meeting Meta's glare would be fatal.

Meta looked at me and smiled an evil smile. "I'm afraid that the Pharaoh will be busy for the entire day, Princess. You cannot see him at all today. Now, do as I say, and go back to your rooms at once."

"I'll go where I want to, wench," I snapped before I turned on my heel and walked away. I heard a snort of suppressed laughter from the guards and looked back to catch a glance of Meta's furious face. "Your tyranny ends here and now," I muttered to myself.

* * *

When I returned to Atem's rooms, he had changed to his usual attire. "Sister, the servant told me that Mahado is due back within another hour."

I sighed. "It's going to be a very long hour then…"

"Why don't you go to the library and find something to read? That should help you pass the time."

I shrugged. "I might as well."

He smiled. "Go then, I have to attend a lesson, and then, when Mahado comes back, I will send for you."

* * *

I paced up and down the aisles of the library, seething with restlessness. I longed to see Mahado so much that I could have burst with impatience. I gazed at the scrolls, but in my mind all I could see was Mahado's face, and all I could think about was him. The time seemed to be unbearably slow no matter what I was doing.

My trance was broken at the sight of Shada standing before me. "Since you seem to be unable to find anything to read, Jasana, I highly recommend that you read this." He held a scroll out to me.

I took it and read the title. "The Principles of the Heka?" I looked at him curiously.

He nodded. "Perhaps it could help you regain your heka, or it could provide clues as to why it has been weakened."

I smiled at his kind gesture. "Thank you, Shada. I will be sure to read it," I said as I turned to go back to my rooms.

* * *

Oh, how agonizingly slow Time seemed to crawl by! The sitting room seemed like a prison. The incessant chatting of the Sisters and the sound of the flax being spun merged into one monotonous drone. I tried to fix my concentration on the scroll that Shada gave me. But I could never focus on it for long, I had only read, "_Prayers to the Mistress of Magic (1) and various rituals can restore one's heka and even strengthen it," _and then my mind wandered back to Mahado.

_I wonder where he is now. Maybe he's at the gates to the city, and he's galloping towards the palace right now. Maybe he's already dismounted, and he's running to come and see me. But wait- what makes it so obvious that he's coming to see __me__?_ Doubt and uncertainty swirled in a pool of malice within my mind.

My gaze continually flickered between the scroll in my hands and the nearby sundial. An hour passed. I strained my ears for any rustle, any sound that indicated that Atem was coming.

Another quarter of an hour passed when Atem appeared at the doorway to my sitting room. There was a great clatter as the Sisters stood and curtseyed to him. He casually waved his hand.

"Jasana, shall I keep you company?" he asked, subtle meaning hidden in his words and his smile.

I smiled back and nodded. "Of course you may, my brother. Ladies, leave us. I wish to see my brother alone." All of the Sisters obediently withdrew to the anteroom. As Teraset withdrew, her obsidian gaze scanned me suspiciously.

Once they were out of sight, Atem stretched his arm out towards the doorway and chanted, "_By the power of Thoth (2), may these words, intended only for my sister, be heard only by my sister." _

"I don't want any of them to eavesdrop on us," he explained after he cast the spell. "More than an hour has passed, Jasana, and Mahado hasn't returned!"

My heart plummeted with dread. "Oh Ra, what do you think could be keeping him?"

Even more worry filled his face. "I don't know, Sister, but something's not right, I can feel it! But when I tried to go to Father, they told me that he was still in a meeting! Lord Serewahkt is not concerned, because he says that it could be that Mahado has been delayed by a short while or so. I tried desperately to get Father to send guards to look for him, but Meta wouldn't let me through!"

"We'll just have to wait and see then," I said uncertainly. "I don't think anything amiss has happened." _Oh Hathor (3), __please_ _don't let anything happen to Mahado!_

A deep masculine voice rang out from the anteroom. "Oh, that must be Karim! I sent him to ask for news of Mahado, and told him to come here," Atem explained.

Karim entered the room, appearing crestfallen. Upon seeing my brother's expectant face, he sighed and gravely said, "No news of Mahado yet. But it's weird- the other mages said to me that although there is a chance that he is being delayed by some extra meditation and such, he should be back by now."

"What can we do?" Atem demanded. "I can't get any of the guards to go and see what is keeping him!"

"We will just have to be patient and wait, my Prince. There is not much else we can do." He held out a small wooden box and a board to me. "Care for a game of Senet (4), Jasana?"

I sighed. "We might as well; I have nothing better to do."

Karim turned to Atem. "You can watch us play, my Prince, and observe the rules of the game. Then, after one round, you can play against the winner."

Atem seemed to cheer up slightly. "I've always wanted to know how to play that game," he replied brightly.

We moved the pieces back and forth in silence. The game made the passing of time more bearable. But still, we were waiting, though it wasn't exactly clear what we were waiting for.

As Karim made his move, I heard a soft, fluttering voice groan, _"Jani…"_ It was Mahado's voice! I jerked my head towards the doorway, hoping to see him there, but I didn't see anyone. I felt a slight twinge of pain in my heart.

"Jasana? Is something wrong?" Karim asked.

"Nothing," I replied, trying to calm my apprehension. "It's nothing."

We resumed our game, and then, suddenly, the tingling pain intensified. I heard Mahado's voice again. _"JANI!"_ This time, it was as loud as clear as it would have been if he was right there in the room with us. The pain became a sharp wave that engulfed my entire body. I gasped and doubled over.

Atem rushed to support me. "Jasana! What ails you?" he asked anxiously

"It's strange," I said in a strained voice. "I could swear by Maat (5) that I heard Mad cry out my name, it was as loud and clear as anything I've heard." Then I heard Mahado yell in pain.

I jumped to my feet. "Mad's in trouble!! We have to go out there and find him!"

Karim looked at me incredulously. "Are you absolutely sure, Jasana? I didn't hear anything; what if it's simply your imagination? Mahado could still be at the sanctuary for all you know."

"He has to be in trouble," I replied fiercely. "Why else would he not have returned by now? Come, Karim, tell me- how else can Mahado not be back at this time?"

"I don't know," he admitted.

Atem clapped a hand over my mouth. "Shhhh! Listen!" he hissed. All three of us fell silent.

We heard Meta's voice coming from the anteroom, saying, "Where is the Princess?"

"She is in her sitting room with the Prince and Lord Karim," Teraset obediently answered.

"You are to make sure that she stays there. She is not to go wandering off anywhere until the midday meal. And if she does, you are to escort her, and if she behaves improperly, you are to tell me straight away." Her footsteps reverberated into the sitting room.

I got up and started to pace. "Now what am I going to do?" I asked frantically. "There's no way I can get out of here!"

"You speak too soon," Karim said. "Cast an Invisibility Spell on yourself, Jasana."

"Right now?"

"Yes, I want to see if you can do it."

I inhaled slowly. _Please, Aset, please make this work._ I nervously cast the spell on myself.

Karim smiled. "It worked."

I breathed a sigh of relief and lifted the spell. "So now what?"

He thoughtfully twirled a Senet piece between his fingers. "Well, I have a plan, an insane plan, but it just might work…"

As Karim told me his plot, I felt hope well up within me. _This could work_, I thought to myself. _Yes, it's reckless and dangerous, but it could work nonetheless._ He finished, "…Then we will go and try to find Mahado, but keep this in mind, Jasana: we might fail. Then the Pharaoh shall be furious, and there can be all sorts of consequences. Are you sure you still want to do this?"

"I have never been surer of anything in my life than I am now. Go now, and hurry!"

Karim and Atem stood and made a move for the doorway. Karim turned around and added, "You might want to disguise yourself though, Jasana. At least find a coarse linen veil to cover your head; it will protect you from the heat."

"All right, I'll remember!" I said impatiently. "Just hurry!"

"Be ready when I call for you, because we will need to carry this plan out swiftly and as accurately as possible in order for it to work. Time is of the utmost importance." He and Atem then left the room.

I followed behind them into the anteroom and saw them off. Once they had exited the room, I turned to the Sisters. "I hereby dismiss you for the morning. I have not been sleeping well of late, and I'm feeling rather tired right now, so I think I shall retire until the midday meal. I do not wish to be disturbed."

They exchanged doubtful glances with each other. Then, Safira, Ankh-nefera, and Meret all looked at Teraset. However, Aramen's blue gaze perused my face; it was as if she could sense that I was lying.

Teraset said stoutly, "We are quite content with sitting here, Princess. We are here at your service and to attend to you, so we will stay here should you need us."

"Very well then," I said coolly before retreating to my bedchamber.

A sense of urgency pulsed through my veins as I quickly removed some of my jewelry. As I removed each ring and armband, thoughts flowed through my head like a rushing stream. _Do the Sisters suspect something? What if they try to stop me? What if I'm too late? What if Mahado's already dead? What if Karim doesn't send the signal? What's going to happen if Father catches us before we can even get out? _

I snatched up a riding cloak, one that was made for summer wear. Once I made sure that every strand of my hair was hidden, I pinned a small square of white linen over the bottom half of my face. It would not do for me to be recognized and ignite a wildfire of gossip among the people.

When there was nothing else for me do to, I fell to my knees before the statue of Aset. "Aset, most highly esteemed Mistress of Magic, I beg you to grant my heka strength for what I am about to do," I prayed breathlessly. "Forgive me for disobeying the wishes of my father, but I must save Mad!" I trembled as I continued in a passionate whisper, "Please, please tell me that we're not too late! If he were dead…He is to me as Osiris (6) is to you! You, Great Mother, you, of all women, understand, do you not? Please, help me!!"

A loud rustling filled my ears, and I wondered: _Could it be Aset's power at work?_ Then, I turned and saw grains of sand assemble into the form of a magnificent hawk. With Karim's voice, it spoke, "It is time." As the hawk disassembled, I felt my heka surging with power within me, and I knew that Aset had heard my prayers. Now it was time to put that heka into action.

I determinedly cast an Invisibility Spell over myself. Then, mustering all of my energy, I sealed the entrance to my bedroom. _"By the command of thy Mistress, you, Sacred Portal, shall not let anyone pass."_

I ran through the anteroom, completely unnoticed by the Sisters. Once I passed the threshold to my wing of the palace, I set a seal on the doorway and ran into the corridor, my blood pounding in my ears.

I had not gotten far when I heard a female voice shriek, "Someone help! The Princess is missing!"

_Oh no, that was Teraset's voice! The seal to my bedchamber must have broken! _I quickened my pace, ignoring the other screams of panic issuing from the corridor leading to my chambers. I didn't think about whether or not the seal to my chambers as a whole had worked; my only thought was to get to the stable as fast as I could, before it was too late.

The cool darkness of the corridor broke out into dazzling golden light. The stable soon came into view, and that only urged me to run faster. As I neared Karim, I lifted the Invisibility Spell. I was so close now…

He was already mounted and waiting with Nephthys. I swung up onto her back, and he tossed a waterskin to me. At the sound of shouts ringing from the palace, he turned his head and swore under his breath. "Something must have gone wrong!"

"It's the seal on my bedchamber!" I said quickly, adjusting my cloak and grabbing the reins. "Never mind that, let's go!!"

"Right!" We kicked our horses and galloped out of the stable yard.

But before we could reach the stretch between the river and the pastures, we heard Meta's shrill voice screech, "Mages, stop them! Princess Sahm-Aset, I order you to stop!"

A low wall of earth rose out of the ground before us; we were approaching it fast. For a second I was terrified that we would crash and be thrown from our horses to the ground, and what if the horses were injured? The fears were quickly staved as I noticed that the wall did not seem to rise any higher; we could easily jump it.

"YOU DON'T ORDER ME AROUND, YOU PATHETIC BITCH!!" I shouted. As if to emphasize the point, Nephthys cleared the wall in one mighty leap. Karim's horse followed suit. As Nephthys' hooves touched the ground, I quickly glanced back, and I thought I saw one of the mages smile at me and wink. I smiled back and then turned my head back to the front. "I'm coming, Mad_," _I muttered under my breath. "I'm coming, just hang on, please, hang on for me."

* * *

"So, any idea where Mahado might be?" Karim asked mildly after we had left the bounds of the city behind us and slowed our horses to a stop.

I realized that I actually had no definite idea of where Mahado could be; it was not guaranteed that he would be lying alongside the path to the sanctuary. He could have been chased to some remote area, and I had no way of tracking him down.

"I'm not too certain," I answered hesitantly, "but he would probably be near the road to the Sacred Sanctuary, would he not?"

Karim sighed, "I hope he is, because if he is not, then there's no telling where he might be. Let's go then."

"I hope so too," I murmured to myself as we took off along the path to the Sanctuary.

We rode for what seemed like an eternity, each one of us taking turns to call out, "Mahado! Mahado! Where are you?" Each time we called out, the only answer we received was Shu's (7) lonely whisper. We strained our ears for a whinny from Bata, or the sounds of a struggle, anything.

The path soon wandered into a canyon, indicating that we were getting close to the Sanctuary. And still there was no sign of Mahado.

"Jasana, we're going to have to turn back soon," Karim said grimly. It's getting too hot, and our water is half gone. Also, we are rather close to the Sanctuary, and we still haven't seen him yet. Maybe he's still there after all."

"If he's still at the Sanctuary and completely safe, then how do you explain that pain that I felt earlier?" I challenged. "And he is here somewhere, I know it…" I closed my eyes and opened them again. "I can feel it."

Karim looked at me doubtfully. He urged his horse onward, and then he pointed something out to me. "Look! There's Bata!" I immediately looked in the direction that he pointed. There, quite a distance away, was a white horse rearing, his neighs echoing throughout the canyon. Nephthys raised her head and gave off a whinny of her own.

We kicked the horses into a gallop. As we came closer, I saw a bloody body lying against the cliff wall; it was Mahado.

"Mad!" I cried. I flung myself off Nephthys before she had even come to a halt and scrambled towards the man I loved. I was horrified to see that his clothes were stained heavily with his own blood, and his body was covered in bruises. I knelt down beside him and cradled his sweaty head in my arms. "I'm…I'm so sorry," I said through my sobs. I conjured a cloth, soaked it with water, and wiped the dust and blood away from his face, a few of my tears mixing in with the dust.

Karim knelt on the other side of Mahado and placed two fingers on the vein in his neck. "Is he…?" I could not bring myself to finish my question.

He let out a sigh of relief. "He's alive, but he's badly hurt and unconscious. We have to get him to the palace as soon as we can."

I made a move to conjure a stretcher, but he laid a hand on my arm. "Let me do it," he said gently. "Your heka is still not at its full strength, and it's going to take a lot of strength to get Mahado back to the palace."

I was just about to open my mouth and contradict him, but I held my tongue; this was clearly not the time to argue. I nodded, and together we laid Mahado down on the conjured stretcher.

Amid more hoof beats, an unfamiliar voice called out, "There you are, Princess!" Karim and I whirled around. A group of six guards approached us. "The Pharaoh has sent us to come find you," one of them, who I assumed to be the head guard, said. "By his orders, you are to return to the palace immediately, and we are to escort you."

"We were just about to return to the palace," I said smoothly. "We have just found Lord Mahado, and he will need medical attention as soon as possible."

"Right. Well…er…shall we proceed?" the head guard asked awkwardly.

"Yes."

Two of the guards moved forward to take the stretcher carrying Mahado, but Karim said calmly, "There will be no need." He chanted a spell, and the stretcher floated above the ground. He mounted his horse, and I mounted Bata, knowing that Nephthys would willingly follow me. With three guards before us and three guards behind us, and the stretcher hovering along in between us, we made our way back to the palace.

* * *

As we galloped into the stable yard, I was half-expecting Meta to be there to pull me down from my horse the first moment possible. However, she was not there; there was nobody there, except for a pair of idle stable hands and the usual guards.

I dismounted and looked around me curiously. Everything around me seemed to be perfectly normal, but that in itself was not normal. I had just done something completely outrageous by royal standards, though of course it was the perfectly right thing to do. But still, it only seemed as if I was just returning from a leisure ride. Something heavy settled in my stomach as I thought about how Father would react, and how Meta would react…

Karim's hand settled on my shoulder. "Come, Jasana, let's get Mahado to the medical wing."

I gave Nephthys a quick pat on the nose before letting a groom lead her away. Two more grooms led the other horses away as we escorted the guards carrying Mahado to the medical wing. I ushered them into an empty room. As soon as the guards left, Lady Aseneit rushed in with Isis.

Her eyes popped wide open with horror. "By the gods!" she cried. She soon collected herself and started to give out orders. "Come, ladies, let's remove his upper tunic. We're going to have to see how bad things are."

I gingerly removed the arm bands from Mahado's left arm, and Isis did the same for his right arm. I left the silver ring where it was, and I felt a little tug from my own ring.

"Dear Aset," Isis softly whispered, "who could have done this to him?" Her eyes swam with tears.

I shook my head, at a loss for words. I removed his headdress and briefly rested my hand on his cheek. I jerked that hand away as Meta came into the room, seething with rage. Her lips were curled into a snarl, and her dark eyes flashed with anger. She gripped my arm with her claw-like fingers, pulled me to my feet, and dragged me out of the room.

"You- You- filthy, insolent, little WRETCH!!" she growled, barely able to contain herself. "HOW- DARE- YOU-"

"Unhand me at once!" I firmly ordered. "How dare YOU come here and treat a Princess of Egypt in such a manner!" I wasn't going to take any of it anymore, now that I knew my place, and I knew that I was far above her.

"I dare because I CAN!!" Meta hissed. "I wonder how you dare to be insolent to me! I will have you beaten to a pulp for this, mark my words! You will come to regret that you EVER went and saved that bastard that you call your lover-"

"I beg to differ, Lady Meta. It is I who will deal with her." My father's cold voice caught the both of us off guard. Meta dropped my wrist, and I dropped my gaze to the ground, awaiting the stern lecture and scolding that was sure to come.

Meta dropped to her knees. "My liege…" I was surprised to hear that her voice shaking. "I am her caretaker; surely I should be the one to punish her insolence?"

"No," Father said steadily. "I am her father, I will deal with her. Jasana, come with me."

Now it was my turn to drop to my knees. "With all due respect, Father, let me attend to Mahado first," I pleaded. "He is in dire need of my care."

Seto, Akhnadin, and Atem approached Father's side. "Mahado is in no need of your care, Princess, he is fine in the hands of Lady Aseneit," Seto said coolly.

I never took my gaze away from my father. "Nevertheless, I still want to help Lady Aseneit, Father. Please, let me attend to him first, and when he is well, I will gladly accept my punishment. Please…" Tears filled my eyes now.

Seto raised an eyebrow, scandalized. Father's face softened a little as he asked gently, "Why do you want so much to do this yourself?"

": Because…because… he's my friend, he's my best friend," I confessed. "I would despair if he should not recover, so I want to do everything in my power to help him. Please, Father…"

"Let her, Brother," Akhnadin said. I looked at him, my mouth open in surprise. Seto looked at him with a hint of the same surprise. Akhnadin did not acknowledge our reaction. "She is quite the equal to Lady Aseneit, and Aseneit has other affairs to attend to; she cannot keep an eye on Mahado the whole day long, but Jasana can, and she is the perfect person to do so." Akhnadin shifted his gaze to me, and he nodded his head slightly, so that only I could see it. "_Now I understand_," he seemed to say through his expression.

Lady Aseneit stepped up to my side. "Yes, the Princess is the perfect person to help me. Mahado will need constant attention, and she can do it."

Father sighed. "Well…"

Atem chimed in enthusiastically, "Come on, Father, Jani is excellent at healing, and you know it! If there was anyone to help Mahado recover as quickly as possible, it's her."

Father solemnly nodded his head. "Very well then, Jasana, you may attend to Mahado, and then I will speak with you," he decreed indifferently.

I inclined my head. "Thank you, Father. I am truly grateful."

Without another word, Father walked away. Meta followed him, protesting, "B-b-but, my liege!"

With a triumphant feeling, I turned around to return to the room with Lady Aseneit. Isis was lingering on the threshold, and we all waited until two male attendants exited the room before entering. Mahado's upper tunic had been removed, and the attendants had replaced his long pleated kilt with a shorter one. I saw that both of his legs were bloody and badly bruised.

Lady Aseneit said to me, "Well, fortunately his injuries are not that bad; his right arm is broken, but otherwise he only has cuts and bruises.

The three of us set to work on cleaning and bandaging the wounds. As I worked, I couldn't help but notice how toned Mahado's chest was. My face heated with a new shyness, and suddenly my hands became rather unskilled.

Isis, noticing the look on my face, nudged me and whispered, "Be professional, Jasana. Right now, you are first and foremost his healer." Despite what she said, bandaging the wounds took a greater deal of concentration than it normally would have.

After Lady Aseneit had finished bandaging Mahado's legs, she got to her feet. "Come Isis, I shall need your help with another patient. Princess Jasana, I trust that you can finish up the bandaging and look after him?" Judging by the look on her face, I knew that she was really asking an entirely different question.

"Yes, Lady Aseneit, I am perfectly capable of attending to him myself," I demurely answered.

Lady Aseneit then exited the room. Isis followed suit, her eyes dancing with an insinuating look as she did so. I pretended not to notice.

I slowly and tenderly rubbed a sweet-smelling ointment onto Mahado's left arm. "I'm so, so sorry, Mad," I murmured, even though I knew that he probably could not hear me. "I was wrong, I was wrong all along. I never should have despaired, and I didn't mean to hurt you. There are so many things that I never realized before, that I realize now. I don't care what Meta says or tries to do, or what anyone else says and does, for that matter. I don't want Seto. I want you; I need you, I…" My voice dropped to a whisper. "_I love you._"

"I forgive you, Jani, my love," a thread of a whisper said. Mahado was barely awake, and he looked at me lovingly through half-closed eyes.

I beamed and continued to bandage his arm. Once I was done, he weakly lifted his hand. His arm shook from the effort, and so I took his hand in mine and held it to my cheek. I closed my eyes and reveled in his touch.

He struggled to get up, but I laid my hand on his chest to stop him. "Rest, Mad. You're still quite weak. Rest…"

"Stay with me?" he asked softly.

I smiled and reached over to run my fingers through his hair. "Of course I will."

Mahado sleepily smiled and brought my hand to his lips before he closed his eyes. After a while I laid my head on the edge of the bed and fell asleep as well, my fingers still entwined with his.

* * *

**1- also known as Aset, see Chap. 2**

**2, 3- see Chap. 2**

**4- Senet was a popular board game similar to chess that was played in Ancient Egypt.**

**5- For a description of Maat, see Chap. 3**

**6, 7- see Chap. 2**

**Whew! I finally got this chapter done! It took me a ridiculously long time to write, and maybe just as long to proofread and edit. Thanks for reading! Please don't forget to review too! :)**


	25. A Request Granted

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh**

**And so, after the longest hiatus ever, I'm back! I thought I'd never touch this story again, what with how busy I've been in the last two and a half years, and because of low motivation, but, oddly enough, it was a dream that inspired me to start writing again, and the words came easily to me this time around. I rewrote this chapter, and parts of the old Chapter 25 will become Chapter 26, with some changes added. For those of my old readers who are still active, please leave a review; I've missed hearing from you. And for any new readers, I hope you enjoy! And please leave a review as well, I'd love to hear what you have to say :)**

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* * *

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My eyelids fluttered open as I heard two soft voices talking to each other. The room was filled with flickering torchlight. As I rubbed my eyes, Isis and Karim's faces came into view.

"Ah, you are finally awake," Isis said. "You must have been exhausted!"

I yawned. "It's been quite the day."

"Yes, Karim told me all about it, and now it's all over the palace," she replied matter-of-factly. "Seto is not pleased at all, and neither is Meta."

I pressed my nails into my palm. "Well, to the shadows with the both of them!" I murmured fiercely. "I don't care anymore."

"But you _should_ care, Jasana," Karim said. "You must take especial care, now that this has happened."

I sighed and massaged my forehead. "Dear Aset…" I groaned.

"First, take a bath to refresh yourself. Isis will go with you, while I go to the kitchens and get you something to eat. I will meet you in your anteroom, and we will talk there." Seeing my gaze fall on Mahado's face, he finished assuringly, "Lady Aseneit will make sure that the guards in the medical wing are attentive. He will be safe."

Surprised as I was by Karim's unusual assertiveness, I was too exhausted to question his commands. I lethargically rose to my feet and followed Isis and him to the door.

* * *

As we approached my chambers, we heard Meta's voice ringing with rage.

-"your orders were to keep the Princess IN. HER. ROOMS! You imcompetent idiots! Now that wench has ruined everything!"

"And exactly what have I ruined, Lady Meta?" I asked as Isis and I slipped into the room.

Meta whipped around to face me, as quick as a cobra. Tense silence hung in the air as we glared at each other. Finally, Meta waved her hand imperiously and commanded, "Ladies, leave us."

"Pardon me, Lady Meta," I said, forcing myself to be polite. "But I believe that these are my rooms, and therefore I should be the only one giving orders to my companions. Ladies, I bid you to stay."

The Sisters, who had been walking towards the door, stopped in confusion, not sure of whose orders to follow.

Meta snarled, absolutely furious. I merely looked back at her, never breaking eye contact. She opened her mouth to speak, but I regally raised my hand to silence her, just as I had seen Father do to me. "You are dismissed, Lady Meta." I was surprised at how calm and quiet my voice seemed to be. "Get out of my rooms."

"Think you can order me around, do you now, Princess?" Meta said waspishly. "Think you are higher than me now, and that I can't touch you anymore?"

"I don't _think_ these things, I know them," I boldly retorted.

Meta laughed: a wild, high-pitched sound, one that would belong to a madwoman. "You underestimate me! I still have the power to render your life completely miserable," she threatened, her voice rising with anger.

"I would like to see you try," I said sarcastically. With the exception of Aramen, who was gazing at me admirably, the Sisters gasped, scandalized that I could talk to Meta thusly. Teraset looked as livid as Meta. "And you are wasting my time, I told you to get out."

"I'm not going just yet!" Meta snapped. "I'm not through with you, Sahm-Aset!"

"That may be so, but I am through with you and your calling me 'Sahm-Aset'. I am giving you two options: either you get out right now on your own will," I conjured a thousand daggers, and they all gleamed menacingly at her, "or my daggers will drive you out."

"Just watch," Meta hissed. "Once Mahado recovers you will never see him again, and you will marry Seto. Let's see if you're still so bold and cocky then."

"As my father said to you earlier today," I said, my voice falsely sweet, "I beg to differ."

With that, I gave the signal, and my daggers soared towards her. Her eyes bulged, and she turned on her heel and ran out of the room. Her shriek of terror mixed in with the Aramen and Isis's uncontrollable laughter. I followed behind her, urging my conjured daggers onward, but just enough to keep her running; I made sure that they would not touch her at all.

As Meta ran out of the anteroom, her shoulder rammed against the doorpost, and she stumbled and fell onto the floor. I swung the big wooden doors inward. Just before I closed them, I said, "Oh, and by the by, you would do very well to get this straight into your thick head and stop denying it like you have for all these years." I looked steadily into her spiteful eyes. "Mahado loves me, and I love him. We belong together, and nobody can stop us from being together, not even you." And with a great measure of triumph, I swung the doors shut in her face.

* * *

"It's high time you did that," Isis said triumphantly.

"I know." I replied as I smugly savored the flavor of the lamb.

"I disagree." Karim said tersely. We both cast questioning looks at him. He explained, "Matters have already been strained between you and Meta- and now, with what you have done, they are at the breaking point. In fact, what happened to Mahado is proof of this. Now she is bold enough to make an attempt on his life, on your life, or any of ours, for that matter.

"And this is why you not only need to care, but why you need to be careful. Meta still holds great influence with the court, and with your father. She will not let this insult pass lightly. Also, with lives now at stake, this delicate game we're playing just became more complex and dangerous."

I shivered at his intensity. "So what happens now?"

"I am going to request a proper inquiry into the attempt on Mahado's life tomorrow. I warrant that with time, the trail will lead to Meta, and to her ruin."

"But it will not be easy to link Meta to the crime, Karim. She will try to make this seem like a random crime. And for all we know, it could have been," Isis warned.

"What if it wasn't?" I interjected. "And tell me, Isis, do we not know of at least one person who would be glad to see Mahado dead- specifically, Meta?"

"Yes…" Isis hesitantly concurred. "But-"

"And there are noblemen who would be more than happy to assist Meta," Karim added grimly.

I gaped at him, "Noblemen?"

"Yes. There are many men who were vying for your hand in marriage, remember. They see that your heart only belongs to Mahado, and so for this fact they are jealous of him. I have overheard several men speculating that if he were to die, and Seto as well, then your eye would turn to them."

"But you do not have any proof, Karim!" Isis argued, becoming more emphatic. "It is your word against theirs, and if you point your finger only on the basis of your word, then Meta will see that you will be discredited and your prospects of becoming a High Priest will be destroyed. She would see your future ruined."

"I will see Maat served in this court even if it sends me to my death!" Karim swore, rising to his feet. "And know this, Isis: it matters not if I lose my chance at the priesthood because of this. Whether I become a Priest or no, I tell you, it matters not anymore. For whichever path I take, High Priest or mere nobleman, I shall always be lacking something I long to have."

My stunned gaze shifted back and forth between the two of them- I had never seen either of them speak with such vehemence. It seemed as if they had both forgotten me. Isis appeared to be on the brink of tears, and Karim looked very much like he had said more than he had intended to.

I cleared my throat, attempting to smooth over the awkward silence that now ensued. "Well… now… shall I go with you to request the investigation, Karim? I believe that with my support, my father will be more likely to listen to you."

"Yes, I will meet you in the lotus garden on the morrow in the ninth hour," he replied stiffly. "I believe I will take my leave now- excuse me. And Jasana, you should get some rest; it's been quite the exhausting day for both of us." Without another word, he strode out of the room.

After he left, I turned towards Isis, whose eyes were filling fast with tears. "What did he mean when he said he'll always be lacking something he longs to have?" I asked.

"N-nothing," Isis stammered. "I'm sure it's nothing, just something he said without really thinking about it." But the look on her face revealed that she knew exactly what he meant.

"You're not doing a very good job at lying, Isis," I persisted. "He addressed you directly."

"But you shouldn't pay it any mind, because it can only be foolishness," she rejoined in a quipped voice. "I should probably go too." She sprang from her seat and started for the door, but I grabbed her arm.

"Just tell me the truth," I said gently. "It's Karim, isn't it? It's him that you care so much for, whom you wouldn't tell me about that one night.

She said nothing in return, but the pained glance gave me my answer. She yanked her arm out of my grasp and disappeared into the hallway at a run.

I stared after her, perplexed. If she loved him, then she should have told me with happiness, not with sadness. What was more mind-boggling was that she wouldn't openly admit it; it was as if she wanted to keep it a secret from me. I sighed. This was another mystery that had yet to be solved, but it would not be solved tonight. The most important question that needed to be answered concerned who tried to kill Mahado, and if he was after any of us. _Aset, Great Mother,_ I prayed, _watch over all of us, and keep us safe, especially Mahado, for if anyone wants him dead, only you can protect him…_

* * *

I met Karim at the lotus garden the next morning. His shoulders were set as if he was about to engage in a battle, and he greeted me with a grim determination. "Ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," I replied steadily. As we made our way towards the throne room, I asked him, "What did you mean yesterday when you said that you'll always be lacking something you long to have?"

"It's nothing," he said shortly. "I was caught up in the moment, and I should not have said that."

I studied his face closely, but he was better than Isis at hiding his emotions. Then, as if he regretted his tone, he glanced at me and said, "I shall tell you another time, Jasana, but now is the time to focus on the task at hand. We have to have our wits about us if we are to succeed in catching Meta in this crime of hers and putting an end to her influence."

"Fine, but make sure you don't forget about this."

For the first time in the last few days, he flashed a smile at me. "Have I ever broken my word before?" We now stood before the double doors of the throne room. "Now, breathe, and put on your battle face. It's time."

I took a deep breath, and touched the ankh on my mother's turquoise necklace, which I had worn for good luck. I wished that I could have held onto his arm for support, but that would not have been seemly, and so we walked side by side into the throne room. Atem was already there, standing beside Father's throne. Standing on the dais below him were the other Guardians, Isis, and, to my annoyance, Meta. Her eyes narrowed in fury as she saw me enter, and without preemptive she snapped, "This room is no place for you, Princess Sahm-Aset! You should be in your rooms with your ladies!"

"It is not your place to say where the Princess should be, Meta," Father replied imperiously. "In fact, Jasana has as much of a right to be here as my son, since she is just as capable of ruling this kingdom one day."

Meta's eyes widened with shock; apparently it had been the first time that my father had overruled her thusly.

"I agree with the Pharaoh, the Princess is welcome here," Shimon said kindly. The other Guardians nodded their assent, except for Seto, who remained indifferent, but seemed to behold me with a mild curiosity.

As we proceeded to discuss the business of the day, Karim stepped forward. "Your Excellency, I have a request to make."

"Proceed, Karim."

"I wish for an investigation to be conducted on Mahado's attack. I believe it was deliberately planned, not just an accident."

Meta laughed derisively. "Preposterous! Such an investigation would be useless! Most likely he was attacked by bandits!"

"Only mages travel the road to the sanctuary, and not often enough for bandits to regularly stalk that road," Master Serewakht said. "And it is isolated, away from most villages. Only someone who had knowledge of when a magician was traveling would dare venture onto that road."

"Well then, perhaps some other magician was the intended target!" Meta countered. Isis glanced at me with a look that clearly said, _"I told you so."_

"Yes, it could have been, but highly unlikely. Only a few other minor magicians were at the sanctuary at the time Mahado was there, nobody of importance that could have been the target of an attack."

Father nodded. "Very well. A formal inquiry will be conducted, and a guard will be set to keep an eye on Mahado as he recovers."

"But the attacker might not be here in the court!" Meta insisted.

"You seem to be very well informed on who might or might not have been the attacker, Lady Meta," I interjected snidely. My comment achieved the effect I hoped it would; everyone proceeded to look at her suspiciously. "Perhaps you should share what you might know with the rest of us in order to make our efforts easier."

A look of panic fluttered momentarily across her face. _She's guilty! I'm sure of it!_ I thought to myself. I flashed a glance at Karim, and his expression told me that he thought the same thing. But the panic quickly subsided under her usual mask.

"I know nothing of the sort; I only think that such pains should not be taken on a mere servant of the Pharaoh."

"He is hardly a mere servant; he is a nobleman, and he is to be the next Guardian of the Millennium Ring. Therefore, his position here at court is rather substantial, more so than yours, I would say," Atem volleyed. I silently cheered on my little brother and fought the impulse to hug him.

"If the matter is settled, then we should move on to other business," Akhnadin said, putting an end to the brief bicker.

Meta's eyes gleamed. "Yes, perhaps we should talk of the wedding! My king, you still have yet to set a date for the glorious occasion." She smiled malevolently at me, intent on getting her revenge.

"The wedding date will not be set until I have discussed the matter in private with my daughter," Father replied. A brief wave of surprise passed across Seto's face, but it quickly turned back into marble. "In the meantime, we should discuss the security of the other mages, and the apprentices too. If Mahado has been the target of attack, then there could be other potential victims, and I will not have any more attacks on members of this court."

* * *

"I'm completely convinced that she's guilty," Karim said later that afternoon as he mounted his horse.

"But conviction is not the same as proof, Karim," Atem pointed out, reining his horse into a walk. "And until there is definite proof, Father will have to give Meta the benefit of a doubt. He probably doesn't even consider her a suspect."

"But she is definitely the most likely suspect," I said. I proceeded to tell them of the exchange Isis and I overheard in my chambers.

Atem's eyes widened. "You should tell this to Father immediately! It will definitely make her a suspect in his eyes. Already her esteem has diminished, didn't you notice the way he spoke to her when she tried to put you out of the throne room? He's never spoken to her like that before."

"Perhaps, but she can easily win his favor back," Karim said. "And even though there are more guards around Mahado, he is still in danger. Those guards could be bribed, for all we know. He was supposed to have an escort to and from the palace, but apparently those guards neglected their duty." He paused, and then continued, "It may be better, Jasana, if you pretend to lose interest in him."

I brought Nephthys to a halt and looked at him incredulously. "What do you mean?"

"It may be better if you pretend interest in Seto, and the other noblemen too, just to deter them from wanting to harm Mahado. If they think that you no longer love him, and that they might have a chance, then they will leave him alone."

"But that is deceitful!" I gasped.

"Not necessarily, it is simply a matter of political discretion. You keep everyone guessing, without revealing your true intentions until the time is right and the matter is sealed. Until then, everyone won't know what you're really up to, and in this way, you get what you want and lessen the risk to Mahado. Actually, it's best if you pretend to curry the favor of several men, so that they won't gang up on Seto as well. As much as we loathe him, I do not want to see him face the same danger that Mahado did."

"I don't like this idea, and what if Mahado thinks I'm playing the part all too well?"

"We can explain the situation to him, he'll understand."

"But what if he doesn't?" I didn't want to argue with Karim, who had always given good advice, but this time I found his advice doubtful. "And what if Father notices, and thinks that I really intend to marry Seto? He'll announce the date of the wedding, and things will proceed, and it will be too late to change anything!"

"Mahado will understand after I explain everything to him, and you will help me." Karim brought his horse alongside mine. Seeing the look on my face, he said gently, "Remember, this is a game that we're playing, almost like a game of senet, and the goal is for you to win over Meta and get your way."

"But what if I have no wish for this to be a game? Why can't it be simpler?"

"Because that is politics, I'm afraid," he said ruefully. "And convincing your father will have to be part of the act. But remember when he said that he will speak to you in private about the matter? That will be your chance to tell your father what you really want, and hope that he grants your wish. I warrant that he already knows your intention anyway, given the way you asked to treat Mahado yourself. The main ones we want to fool are Meta, Seto, the other noblemen, and anybody else who might want to bring Mahado harm."

"I don't like this idea of pretending though," I said softly.

Atem looked at me sympathetically. "Sister, you will see that as royalty, you may have to appear to be pretending sometimes, when matters are delicate, in order to keep the peace. That's what Father told me, when he was teaching me the ways of ruling. It's not necessarily going against _ma'at_ to be discreet and not reveal everything at once, and sometimes it's necessary if one is to survive."

Karim nodded. "That's exactly it. It's a lesson that your brother has already learned, and one that you should learn quickly as well if you are to be a greater part of this court. Every courtier, even the Guardians, have their own interests that they are guarding. And the one who wins them over in an alliance will be the one who sees their pieces advanced in this game to victory." Seeing that my hesitation hadn't waned, he insisted, "It's not forever, Jasana. And trust me; it's for the best for you and Mahado."

I sighed, and conceded, "All right, I'll follow your advice, but just for how long do I have to do this for?"

"Until we bring Meta down and you are the first lady of the court, as you should rightfully be," he answered.

* * *

**As always, thanks for reading! Not sure when I'll have the next chapter up, but I guarantee that there WILL be a next chapter, now that I've started writing again. Till next time! :)**

**-JJ**


	26. A Victory and a Warning

**Disclaimer: Once again, don't own Yugioh**

**I am SO proud of myself for having whipped out this chapter so quickly. Here's a nice, long one for you guys! :)**

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* * *

**

After our ride, Karim, Atem, and I arrived in Mahado's room to check on him. Father, Lord Serewahkt, and a scribe were there as well, and Mahado was telling them, "I know not who attacked me. I was riding on the road, and all of a sudden, someone's ka pursued me, and attacked before I had a chance to summon mine. I immediately urged Bata into a gallop, hoping to outrun it, but it was no use. The other guards scattered upon seeing the creature; I don't know where they fled to."

"Do you know what this creature looked like?" Father asked. The scribe silently made marks upon his papyrus, detailing the interview.

Mahado closed his eyes, trying to remember. "It was a black dragon, with red eyes. There was another creature too, but I can't quite recall what it looked like now."

"Were there any men nearby that you saw?"

Mahado shook his head. "None that I saw. I only saw the creatures."

Father, having seen us entered, turned to me. "Was Mahado missing any of his jewelry when you found him?"

Karim shook his head, and I answered, "No, Father. Mahado had all of his jewelry with him. Isis and I removed it to treat his wounds."

"How long will it take for his wounds to heal?" Lord Serewahkt asked.

"The bruises and cuts will heal in a week. His arm will take a month or two to heal." Mahado grimaced a little, but otherwise bore this news as stoically as he could. "And then his arm will need intense exercise in order to regain its strength."

Father rose. "I believe we are done with our inquiry. We will interview the guards next and leave you to get some more rest, Mahado." He nodded to us and swept from the room, with Lord Serewakht and the scribe in tow.

I sat down beside Mahado and grasped his hand. "How are you feeling, Mahado?" Atem asked anxiously.

Mahado smiled feebly. "Well, I've been better, my Prince, but at least I'm still alive." His eyes landed on Karim and me. "I owe the two of you my life, and I will be forever grateful to you."

"There's nothing to be thankful for," Karim replied sheepishly. "You would have done the same for us in an instant. It was the least we could do as your friends."

"How did you know where to find me?"

Karim looked to me to answer. "I don't know how to explain it, but I was in my room, and all of a sudden I could swear I heard you calling out my name, and I felt a slight tingling pain. I thought you had come into the room, so I looked behind me, but you weren't there. A few moments later, I heard your voice cry my name out again, and the pain intensified, and then I heard you yell in pain. Somehow, I knew then that you were in trouble, and I had to come and find you. So Karim and I rode along the road and searched until we found you."

"And you defied Meta and jumped a wall while you were at it!" Atem chimed in. "You'll have to show me how you did it one day!"

"Uh, first of all, if I had the choice, I would have never jumped that wall," I told him severely. "Circumstances forced me to. Second of all, it is a very dangerous thing to try. Third of all, I don't even remember how I managed to do it, and even if I did, I won't have you trying something like that."

"Oh come on, Sister," he whined. "When I become Pharaoh, I'm going to be doing things that are way more dangerous than jumping a tiny wall!"

"Wait a few more years, and then, maybe- not promising- maybe, I will show you. If I can remember, that is."

"I think that you _do_ remember how you did it, you just don't want to tell me," he said accusingly. "Well, if you won't show me, then Karim will. Won't you, Karim?"  
I glared at Karim, and he stuttered, "Well- um… My horse only followed Nephthys; I did not command it to jump myself."

"You're just siding with my sister because she's here," Atem pouted.

"As I said, Brother, wait until you are a few years older. You still have a lot more riding to master before you can even think of jumping anything."

Karim changed the subject. "Mahado, I think it would be best for you and Jasana if she pretends to shower affection and favor on Seto and the other men vying for her hand." Mahado narrowed his eyes suspiciously, and he continued quickly, "It's only for as long as the investigation lasts, and until she is able to confront her father and express her true wishes; it's only until Meta is caught and brought down."

"I'm not sure if I like this idea…" Mahado said slowly.

I tightened my grip on his hand. "Well, neither do I," I said, "but if it throws whoever's after you off your path, and if it plays the other men against each other and keeps them guessing, if it means that I can have you in the end, it may just be worth it."

"And believe me, it will be worth it in the end, once you are victorious," Karim reassured.

At that moment, a servant entered. "Forgive the intrusion, my Prince, but Shimon requests your presence, he would like to quiz you on a few matters. And Lord Karim, Akhnadin requests your assistance along with Shada's."

After the two of them left the room, I leaned forward to rest my elbows on the side of Mahado's bed. "I still don't like this idea much, but I suppose it can't be helped," he murmured.

"Believe me, I wish there was some other way around this." I brushed my lips against his fingers.

He sighed. "Do whatever you must. Just no kissing any of the other men; I only hope that you won't play this part too well, succumb to their charms, and forget all about me."

I laughed. "Oh, none of them could ever be as handsome or as charming as you, Mad. And I won't fall prey to their false charms, I promise you."

A little smirk teased at his lips. "Oh? And exactly how do I know that you will keep that promise?"

I leaned forward and kissed him with every ounce of passion in my body. He immediately responded, opening his lips even more and using his unbroken arm to draw me onto the bed and on top of him. I drew my face inches away from him. "Convinced yet?" I whispered seductively.

"Almost," he purred, sending shivers down my spine. I smiled mischievously and leaned in to kiss him again, reveling in the hardness of his chest beneath my hands.

"How about now?"

"What if I'm still not fully convinced?" he teased.

"Well then, I'm going to have to keep trying until I have you fully satisfied of my promise," I flirted as I moved my hands slightly lower and moved forward to kiss him one more time, or many, for that matter.

"Even if you don't succumb to their charms," he moaned between my kisses, "then surely they will succumb to yours; every man is going to want you as much as I do."

* * *

As Karim said, I had to play my part, and play it well. That night, the dress I wore was made of linen sheerer than what I was accustomed to, and I wore my most expensive jewelry and had Aramen paint my face so that I looked my best. I met Atem, Karim, and Isis in the courtyard and twirled before them. "Well? How do I look?"

"As lovely as Hathor herself," Karim replied approvingly.

"If only Mahado could see you," Isis teased. "He would never be able to take his eyes off you ever again."

"I'll go visit him after the banquet so he can see me."

"You look lovely, as always," Atem added. "All the men won't be able to resist you tonight!"

I swept into the banquet hall, my head held high with all the confidence I could muster and the security of my friends and my brother by my side. I could feel all eyes on me, and for once, I did not feel shy about this power that I had to capture the men's attention; I was determined to use that power to my advantage. My eyes scanned the room. All the other ladies were dressed in their finest, including Meta. However, she had overladen her neck with her biggest golden collar, and her wrists were decked with bracelet upon bracelet; her eyes were lined heavily with kohl and malachite. The effect overall didn't enhance her beauty but diminished it and made her look like some lowborn whore.

Finally, my eyes found the one I was looking for, and my voice rang out, "Lord Seto!" His eyes widened a little as I addressed him, but he maintained his composure. I flashed him my sweetest smile. "Would you do me the honor of dining beside me tonight?"

Meta smiled as if she had just been crowned Queen of Egypt; Isis gave a small gasp. Akhnadin looked at me endearingly. Even Seto appeared a little surprised, but he smiled a small smile and inclined his head. "It would be an honor and a pleasure, Princess."

Father expressionlessly observed this exchange, as if he was watching and taking it all into calculation. Atem gave me a little wink as I took my seat. The other noblemen watched in envy. I inwardly gloated, _Oh, yes; let them be jealous, because no matter how hard they try, they shall never have me!_

"What do you think you're doing, Jasana?" Isis hissed in my ear. I realized that she had not been told of my trick.

"Ask Karim to explain to you, I have to play this role." She immediately sought him out, and as he spoke to her I could see her shake her head and glance my way, scandalized.

She settled down on my right. "Karim told me about his suggestion, but I don't approve," she whispered. "Have you told Mahado yet?"

"Yes. I don't like this idea much either, Isis, and neither does Mahado, but if it means that we'll be together in the end, then I'm willing to charm Sutekh (1) himself if I have to."

"Well, good luck with charming just Seto. He doesn't look like the type to fall easily to women's wiles, even those like yours."

Just then, Father clapped his hands, and a troupe of musicians and dancers appeared, scantily clad in beaded girdles. As the music began, the dancers twirled and leaped and performed somersaults. Although the women appeared to be enchanted by the music, the dancers were there primarily for the entertainment of the lusty men.

I leaned over to Seto, indicated towards the dancers with my head and said, "They are quite talented, are they not?"

"Er…yes, quite," he stiffly replied. I saw then that my sudden interest in him had caught him off guard and made him uncomfortable.

"Do you not like the music and the dancers, Lord Seto?" I let myself hold his icy gaze.

He looked away. "I don't particularly care for scantily clad girls who shame themselves by dancing, if that is what you mean."

"But they are dancers who have dedicated themselves to Hathor, and it is in her honor that they dance," I replied. "How can such a thing be shameful? And look at how they dance with such _passion, _such enthusiasm, is that not admirable?"

Seto had missed my suggestive remark, but the other men hadn't. "Yes, I find their dances most _exciting_ to watch, Princess." another man said, giving me a lascivious smile. "Such a pity that the Lord Seto cannot appreciate their beauty like I can."

I let myself boldly hold his gaze, leaning towards him. "And if you were able to woo such a dancer, how would you show appreciation for her beauty?"

"Jasana…" Isis whispered, but I ignored her. Karim nearly choked on his wine as he tried to suppress his laughter.

"I'm afraid that is only for the dancer to know," the man replied, "but rest assured that I would express my appreciation most generously, and in such a fashion that she would never forget. But her beauty is pale compared to that of yours."

I giggled, pretending to be flattered. "And may I at least know the name of such an admirer?"

"Takam, your highness."

"Well, Takam, it is a pleasure to meet you," I said, giving him my brightest smile and allowing myself to inspect him. I guessed he was around our age, and he was rather decent-looking; if I hadn't given my heart to Mahado, I would have gladly considered him to be a potential suitor. He was definitely more pleasant to talk to than Seto.

Another man approached me and bowed. "Princess Jasana, may I be honored with your opinion concerning a poem I had written?"

"Most certainly," I replied, smiling at him as well. I took the sheet of papyrus from his hands and scanned the poem. It was mediocre at best: a love poem clearly based on the style of Pharaoh Ramesses the Great and the ones that he had written for his queen Nefertari. "It is a marvel!" I lied. "Clearly you are gifted with words."

The man grinned, blushing. "Thank you, your highness. I'm glad that it pleases you, for you were the inspiration. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Amnerekh."

"Well, you are truly skilled, Amnerekh." I flirtatiously held his gaze until he blushed deeper and looked away.

"I w-would be h-happy to show you the other skills I possess sometime, if your highness is w-willing." I found this remark amusingly adorable coming from him; clearly he had never wooed a woman before, or was intimidated by me.

Seeing as that Seto was not inclined for much conversation, for the remainder of the banquet I flirted with as many men as I dared, all the while reminding myself that it was only a game. I loathed to think that I was treating men the way Kanakh had treated me, but I justified it by telling myself that it was only to outsmart Meta, and to keep Seto safe, despite the knowledge that he was pursuing my hand and was the most prominent of my suitors.

"I heard about Mahado's unfortunate accident, how is he tonight?" one of them asked. The others looked to me for my answer.

"He is well; his wounds will take some time to recover, but he will regain his strength in no time, I am sure," I answered smoothly.

"I see Your Highness wasn't too distraught to join in the festivities tonight, despite how fond you are of him."

I saw now that he was testing my affections. "Of course not," I answered nonchalantly. "In fact, I was much inclined to attend tonight's banquet, knowing all you fine men would be here. Why worry too much over one man? Besides, he is only a friend, one who holds no more of my affection than Karim or Shada here." I gave him a long stare, hoping that my deceit wouldn't show.

"I warrant that he is your best friend," the man pressed.

"Indeed, he is my oldest friend; we have known each other since we were young children. Why should he not be?"

I saw the man pass a glance between Takam and Amnerekh, and suddenly I realized, _Oh Ra, he could be a suspect! He's testing my affection to see if I'm over Mahado! Despite this act, he's still in danger!_

At the end of the banquet, Seto escorted me to the main courtyard, followed by Isis, Atem, Akhnadin, Karim, and Father. He bowed before me. "I bid you a good night, my Princess."

"And I you, Lord Seto," I replied formally. Then, suddenly, he stepped forward and lightly kissed me on the lips, in front of everyone. I was too surprised to do anything except to stand there; I could hardly push him away and embarrass him in front of everyone, especially with Meta watching. But there had been no affection, no spark of passion in his kiss. As he pulled away, his eyes betrayed nothing as he walked away with Akhnadin following, murmuring something into his ear. _Akhnadin still favors him_, I observed silently.

I went to the kitchens and requested a tray of food to bring to Mahado, accompanied by Isis and Karim. The two of them seemed to be on edge with each other; clearly they still had not forgotten that heated exchange in my room the day before.

"That was very well done," Karim praised. "All the men couldn't keep their eyes off you tonight, and I daresay that you've convinced even your uncle that you're in love with Seto."

"If only he didn't have to kiss me in front of everyone," I remarked, shuddering. "Now all the servants will spread it so that everybody in the court will know of it." I felt my heart stop for a moment as I realized that even Mahado will hear of it, even when he asked me not to kiss any of the men I pretended to flirt with.

"He is as lifeless as a rock," Isis said derisively. Karim and I looked at her in surprise; she hardly made a mean comment about anyone, except for Meta. "He barely spoke to you the entire night, and then he kissed you out of nowhere at the end, and he didn't do a very good job of going about it, from what I could see."

"Not an ounce of passion or enthusiasm," I confirmed. "And he hardly said more than a sentence, which is precisely why I sought out the other men. At least they would talk to me."

"I didn't know that you could talk dirty like that, Jasana," Karim teased.

"Well, I had to play a convincing role, didn't I?" I snapped. "Wasn't that the point of this whole night?"

He looked taken aback. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make light of this; I was only jesting."

"Well, I didn't find it so amusing, having to pretend like that," I replied shortly. Having to do all that deceitful flirting was taking its toll on my mood, and the fact that Seto had kissed me made it worse. I felt dirty, like nothing more than a cheap whore. I hoped that I didn't have to appear at any more formal banquets for a while; the less I attended, the less I would see of all those men, who I had successfully managed to charm. "And Mahado asked me not to kiss any of the men; what will he say when he finds out that Seto kissed me?"

Karim comfortingly patted my shoulder. "Then you just tell him the truth: that you didn't make a move, but that Seto did. He can't blame you for that."

We arrived at the medical wing, and Karim and Isis let me go in first by myself.  
Mahado smiled at me. "Either I must be dreaming, or the Mistress of Magic herself has come down to the House of Geb (2) to grace me with a visit."

I giggled and blushed. "Oh no, it's just an ordinary princess come with your dinner." His compliment lightened my dark mood.

"And her two ordinary companions," Karim added, appearing with Isis in the doorway behind me.

"Ah, but I beg to differ. It is my beloved princess come with my two dear friends," Mahado corrected him. As he began to eat his meal, he said between bites, "So, undoubtedly you were quite the success tonight."

I gaped at him; did the gossip really travel that fast? "How do you know?"

"Oh, I heard the servants talking. If what they say is true, then I wouldn't be surprised at such gossip traveling so fast. In fact, I believe you charmed Seto so much as to warrant a kiss from him." His face hardened and a shadow flickered across his eyes.

"But he made the move, not I, and I was too surprised to push him away. Besides, Meta was right there, watching us, and so was Father," I said quickly, trying to hide my guilt.

Sensing it anyway, Mahado softened his gaze. "I don't hold it against you, Jani. I only wish I had been the one to escort you tonight and plant that kiss on your lips."

"Oh, but you have already planted plenty of them," I said, smiling slyly as I recalled that afternoon. "And if things go our way, then there will be plenty of banquets where you will be by my side."

Isis and Karim shifted uncomfortably, aware of the strong attraction between us at that moment. "Um, perhaps the two of us should go and leave you alone," Isis suggested, grabbing Karim by the arm.

"Wait, perhaps Jani should go with you," Mahado said. I looked at him questioningly. "If you really are to play this role perfectly, you can't be alone with me anywhere, so long as you are keeping this act up. It doesn't make sense for you to seek me out if you are pretending that you have lost interest in me and are vying for Seto's favors instead."

They nodded, seeing the sense in this. I sighed, wishing that I could remain with him, but I could understand his reasoning, and I couldn't give up the charade just yet. I kissed him softly and murmured, "Sweet dreams, my love."

He tenderly brushed a lock of hair behind my ears as he returned my kiss. "I don't need them, I already have you," he whispered into my ear.

* * *

The next morning, after I had washed up and dressed, a servant waited for me in the anteroom. "Pardon me, Your Highness, but your father requests your presence."

"I will go to him presently then." My heart was thumping wildly in my chest as I made my way to the throne room. _He must wish to speak to me on an important matter, what can it be? Why, it can only be about the marriage with Seto! I hope I haven't deceived him too soundly for me to change his mind…_

The servant left me to walk in by myself. Unlike the last time I had been in the room, Father was sitting alone on his throne. I made my obeisance. "Father, you wished to see me?"

He smiled to put me at ease. "Yes, Jasana. In fact, let's take a walk. I've been sitting in here for almost an hour now, and the fresh air and exercise will do me some good. This is too fine a morning to be kept indoors anyway."

We walked to the lotus garden, and he indicated that I should sit down. He sat down next to me with a heavy sigh. The mask of kingship slipped from his face, and I pressed back a gasp as I realized how weary he seemed to be. The strain that came with carrying the fate of the entire kingdom on his shoulders was etched in every line on his face.

"Father, are you all right?" I asked tentatively.

He smiled tiredly. "Sometimes ruling can be such a burden, Jasana. It is a burden that is only eased knowing that I have you and Atem to take care of Egypt should anything happen to me." I shivered at this, and he said comfortingly, "But feat not, for I am fine. And I am confident that when it is time, Atem will be more than capable of bearing the burden of kingship, and he will have you to help him, should he need it."

"Of course he will, Father; I promise I will always be there by his side to help him in whatever way I can."

"Good, he will need loyalty like that around him when the time comes. But I've summoned you not to speak of Atem, but of yourself." He glanced at a nearby wall painting of him and Mother and sighed. "Sometimes it seems like only yesterday when we married. I remember the day perfectly. She looked so beautiful, and I know that you will look just as beautiful on your wedding day as well. And that is precisely what I have come to discuss with you." I held my breath, tense with suspense. "You and Seto make a fine match, I would think," he said pensively while my heart fluttered, "but you seem to have captured the attention of many other men. Not all of them can be trusted, however, and I think Seto is the most trustworthy. So what say you, Jasana? When would you like your wedding to be?"

_No! This cannot be happening!_ I fought the urge to panic and said shakily, "Father, there is something I need to say…"

"Yes, Daughter? What is it?"

"I…I have no wish for there to be a wedding... unless if that wedding were to be to someone else besides Seto." Gaining confidence, I continued, "Do with me what you will, but I cannot marry Seto. I care nothing for him, and it is not likely that I ever will come to love him."

My father was not shocked by my sharp frankness, as I thought he would be. Regarding me seriously, he said, "It may very well be that I already know the answer to this question, but why do you say this?"

"I cannot give my heart to Seto because it belongs to someone else."

His steel gaze pierced mine like an arrow. "Mahado," he stated emotionlessly.

I nodded, hardly daring to breathe as I awaited his reaction. _Please… Aset… Hathor… _I prayed silently. My heart hammered wildly in my chest, and at times it felt like it would jump up in my throat and suffocate me. The moments of silence stretched into an unbearable eternity as I forced myself to meet his investigative gaze as calmly as I could.

"Meta told me that you were completely willing to marry Seto, and she insisted that she was speaking on your behalf," Father said gravely, his gaze never leaving mine.

I steeled myself against the urge to tremble under his hard stare. "She spoke not of my will but only of hers," I murmured. Becoming more impassioned, I continued without abandon. "All this time, she has always been speaking for herself, never for me! You believe that she has my best interests at heart, but she has lived only to make my life miserable, and turn me into the Princess that I have never been or could ever be! Ever since Nebatet died, she has been manipulating me into fear and silence. But I no longer care for Meta's wrath, though she has cursed me and threatened me with the lonely life of a priestess, confined to a temple for the rest of my days. So hear me, and hear me now, Father! I will have Mahado, or I will have no one! And I shall live in this palace as my own mistress, or I shall renounce this life and take up the robes of a priestess to Aset or Hathor, and I shall do it gladly!"

Immediately I checked at my own words- I could never do that. I could never gladly abandon Atem and leave him by himself in the palace. I would be breaking my promise to Mother. And I could never gladly leave my life at the palace behind, with Isis, Karim, and Mahado. But I held my tongue, and waited for Father to reply.

He stared at me in utter shock now, with his eyes wide and beholding me as if he was seeing me for the first time. I shifted uneasily, watching as the shock on his face gradually transformed into sadness and regret. Finally, he said slowly, "I… It seems as if there has been a great lack of communication between us, my daughter. I had thought that you were merely infatuated with Mahado, and it would soon come to pass. That is what Meta had told me. If you had come to me yourself, and said that you did not wish to marry Seto, then I would have listened to you."

"Would you? I always had the impression that you would not, which is why I did not consider trying to speak with you," I answered, lowering my eyes to the ground.

He sighed. "We both have assumed wrongly of each other; you have assumed that I would not care enough to listen to you if you came and told me of your wishes yourself. But you forget that I am Pharaoh, and a just Pharaoh must always listen to his people. I would hope that you knew if I had time to listen to petitioners every day, then I would have time to listen to my own daughter."

I continued to stare at the ground, too ashamed to meet my father's gaze. _Atem was right_, I thought to myself. _I never really tried to communicate with Father._

"But I should have come to you myself; I should not have relied on Meta or Akhnadin to give reports on you. And in that sense, I have neglected you, as your mother feared I would," Father admitted woefully.

I struggled to find words to say. "I'm sorry…" I murmured. "I should have come to speak with you. But I'm speaking with you now, Father, and I want to tell you that I wish with all my heart to marry Mahado."

"And not Seto," he confirmed. A shadow crossed over his face as he said, "Meta shall have a lot to answer to when I question her, and Akhnadin as well-"

"No!" I interrupted. Father glanced at me incredulously. "Leave them be, leave the both of them be," I implored urgently.

"I must know their intentions behind wanting you to marry Seto, Jasana," Father said firmly. "For all I know, it may be a matter of the safety of the kingdom." Seeing the unease on my face, he smiled gently. "Don't worry; you and your brother shall not be a part of any of this. It will be between us alone, and I shall ensure that no harm will come to either of you."

A small piece of fear still lay inside my heart, but I managed to return his smile with one of my own. He had made a promise to protect me- I was safe from Meta now.

"And, if that is your wish, you shall marry Mahado," Father assented, "but on one condition: you must speak with Seto yourself, and tell him that you reject his proposal."

The relief was immediately smashed by dread. "Why must I be the one to tell him? It was Meta who had accepted the proposal in my place; she should be the one to reject it as well."

"While she may have been the one who accepted the proposal and made a mess of things, would it not be best for you to untangle this mess yourself?"

"I suppose," I conceded hesitantly.

"Seto is an honorable man; he will understand," he said gently.

_I hope so. _Although they were meant to, Father's words did little to calm my dread. "Well, if it really must be then, I will speak with him tonight, after the evening meal."

He nodded judiciously. "Very good. A wise ruler never delays with tasks that must be done, be they delightful or tedious, easy or difficult. And when you have informed Seto, your way will be clear to finally marry Mahado."

I jumped to my feet in excitement. "Truly, Father?"

"With Ma'at as my witness, you have my word."

I squealed in elation and threw my arms around him. "Oh, thank you, Father! You have no idea how much this means to me!"

Father stiffened with surprise for a moment before returning my embrace. "I should have known from the very beginning that it was Mahado all along. The two of you were inseparable in childhood, so why would that change as you grew into adults? In fact, the two of you remind me very much of your mother and I when we were your age."

"May I go and tell him?"

Father smiled warmly at me. "Yes, you may, and later, when he is fully recovered, I will give him permission myself to make it official."

I sprang to my feet and took off at a run, only to have someone grab my arm just as I rounded a corner. I looked up into the face of my uncle, and was puzzled by his expression.

"Jasana, forgive me, but I must speak with you as soon as possible."

"What is it, Uncle?" I said exasperatedly. "Can it not wait? I have something very important to tell Mahado!"

"Unfortunately it cannot, for it concerns that very matter." I bristled; this could not be good.

"Go on then," I commanded him.

"I overheard what your father said. Is this what you really want? To be married to Mahado?" he asked gently.

"Yes."

"Are you sure? Perhaps this is just an infatuation?"

"I'm as sure of it as I am of the fact that I am the Princess of Egypt," I replied stoutly. "And I've loved him all my life, Uncle. Surely you can see that."

"Jasana," I could see his desperation in his eyes, "I must warn you that when your brother becomes Pharaoh, and when your beloved Mahado becomes a Guardian, they will be in constant danger.

"How can you presume to know the future?" I demanded. "You are not a hemet-Aset (3), nor are you a priestess of Hathor gifted with foresight! You cannot know what will happen once Atem becomes Pharaoh."

"Think, Jasana: do you think you could bear it, to lose Mahado in an instant? You would be completely heartbroken, and your grief would be your ruin! Please, listen to me! If you marry Mahado, it will be your doom! I foresee great unhappiness in store for you, a great sadness, for in the end you will lose him. I do not want that for you! It will be your undoing! Your brother's reign will be shrouded in darkness, and it will engulf him and everyone around him, do not be engulfed by it as well!"

I angrily rounded on him. "DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT ABOUT ATEM!" I screeched violently. "You cannot possibly know these things, you're just saying them to try and sway me!"

"No- I swear to Ra!" Akhnadin's grip tightened. "Marry Seto…you'll have a safe and secure future with him…"

I pulled my hand away. "But an unhappy one. I will be trapped, just like I am being trapped now. But a marriage with Mahado will liberate me, I will be free, and I will be happier than I ever was. I have nothing more to say to you, Uncle. Good day." I turned on my heel and stormed away.

"Everything I say will come to pass, Jasana, mark my words!" He called after me. I started running to escape his words and the doubt they were planting within my heart. I didn't look to see where I was going, and collided with an old woman bedecked in the blue robes of Hathor.

"Pardon me, priestess" I apologized.

The old woman didn't seem to notice me. Her eyes were glazed over with a strange expression, and she intoned, "The Dark One will rise as Horus falls, the darkness shall strengthen as the light wanes…"

I shivered at her strange words. "I beg your pardon?"

She paid me no mind and continued in an eerie voice, "From the ashes of Kul-Elna the Son of Sutekh will rise, he will rise and claim Khemet as his own…none shall stop him, save for the Son of Horus."

Now I could feel myself trembling. "What do you mean? Explain yourself at once!"

She rambled on, "The Great Contendings shall begin anew…and Khemet will run red with blood…"

Now I was furious and frightened. "Shut up! You speak nonsense, old hag!" I seized her by the shoulders.

Now she seemed to notice my presence, for with her grey eyes she stared right into mine. "And the Gods themselves will weep… Shu's breath will be full of the moans and cries of the Children of Geb, and Aset, the Great Queen herself, will sob for her children, and great will be her loss…"

"I command you to stop this nonsense!" I screamed. When it became clear that she would not obey me, I started to run away, but I could still hear the last of her warning drifting after me.

"And Horus, ah, Horus, his victory will be his death, whereas you, Meryetaset (4), your joy shall be your sorrow, your gain will be your loss, beware, beware…."

* * *

**1- Another name for Set, the god of storms, destruction, and evil.**

**2- The earth was known as the House of Geb, who was the god of the earth.**

**3- A priest was known as _hem-netjer, _meaning "servant of the god". A priestess, likewise, was known as _hemet-netjer_. Therefore, a priestess of Aset would be called "_hemet-Aset_". **

**4- Translated, this name means "Beloved of Aset". **

**Thanks for reading! And as always, please leave a review! Chapter 27 should be coming up really soon! But I have to get through a week of exams first...**


	27. Rejection

**Disclaimer: For the hundredth time, don't own Yugioh. **

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* * *

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"So, repeat what you heard the old woman say," Isis commanded me.

I sighed; this was the third time she asked me to do so. "The Dark One will rise as Horus falls, the darkness will strengthen as the light wanes. From the ashes of Kul-Elna the Son of Sutekh will rise, he will rise and claim Khemet as his own…none shall stop him, save for the Son of Horus. The Great Contendings shall begin anew…and Khemet will run red with blood… And the Gods themselves will weep… Shu's breath will be full of the moans and cries of the Children of Geb, and Aset, the Great Queen herself, will sob for her children, and great will be her loss. And Horus, ah, Horus, his victory will be his death, whereas you, Meryetaset, your joy shall be your sorrow, your gain will be your loss, beware, beware."

Karim scratched his chin, thoughtfully contemplating the nearest palm tree. "The Dark One will rise as Horus falls…" he repeated. "That must mean as Pharaoh lies dying."

"You don't know that for sure! Nobody can ever really decipher these prophecies!" I was denying what Karim was saying partially because I didn't want it to be true.

"Jasana is right," Isis said. "And for all we know, this might not even be a true prophecy. She just encountered the old woman in a hallway; the priestess was not in the temple of Hathor, where such predictions are normally made. She could just be some rambling lunatic for all we know."

"Yes, that must be it, just some mad raving," I said, desperate to cling to her reasoning and shake off the ominous fear I was now feeling. Instead of going to seek Mahado, I sought out Isis and Karim and met them at the stable. I didn't want Mahado to know about the exchange between my uncle and me, or about the ominous warning from the old priestess. If I had gone to him immediately, I would not have been able to hide it from him.

"Nevertheless, the woman was adorned in the robes of Hathor, as you said," Karim pointed out, "and she doesn't have to be within the confines of the Temple of Hathor in order to be struck by the goddess. Such a prophecy should be reported, for it concerns the kingdom."

"Hardly anybody pays heed to prophecies; even Father doesn't care much for them anymore."

"He should still be notified, or at least, somebody must be told, Jasana. What if this portends war for us? We have to be prepared!"

"I don't think so," Isis said. "'Kul-Elna' sounds like somewhere in Egypt, not a foreign country. But I've never heard of it before. Have you?"

I shook my head. Karim replied, "No, I haven't, but I can find out if such a place exists. I'll ask my father."

"And I'll tell my aunt of this prophecy. After all, she is the prophetess among the Guardians, and she wields the power of the Millennium Necklace. Whatever she foresees is usually more accurate than the ramblings of a priestess, even if that priestess serves the Seven Hathors."

Seeing my brow still knit with worry, Karim said soothingly, "Don't worry, I'm sure that this prophecy is nothing. Anyway, I think we're becoming too preoccupied with some old woman's insane rambling. You did it! You've managed to tell your father about your desire to marry Mahado! Now we just need Meta convicted of attacking him and our victory will be complete."

Isis ecstatically hugged me, and I beamed. "Does this mean that I can end this ridiculous charade?"

"Well… we'll see how it goes. But I'm afraid that you need to keep it up, at least for tonight, until you tell Seto about your true intentions."

I felt my heart leap to my throat. "Oh Ra! That's right! I have to tell him myself that I don't want to marry him!" I began to pace back and forth.

"You seem more worried about this than you should be," Karim observed.

"I don't know what I'll say to him!" I said frantically. "Just last night I made it seem as if I absolutely adored him, and he even kissed me, and now tonight I have to reject him and tell him that I love Mahado instead of him. How do you think that makes me look?" I ran a hand through my hair. "Pretending to favor him was a stupid idea, and I can't believe I actually let myself follow through with it."

"On the contrary, you managed to deceive Meta so that she won't think to finish the job that she started on Mahado. I don't think it was stupid at all."

"Well of course you don't," I snorted, "because it was your idea!"

"Why are you fretting over this?"

"Have you ever rejected someone before? How do you go about it? What do you say so as not to offend them? Even though I don't really like Seto, I still don't want to be harsh!"

"You just have to tell him the truth, but in a gentle, judicious way," Isis advised.

"And exactly how does one say, 'I'm sorry, but I don't want to marry you. I want to marry someone else' in a gentle and judicious way? As far as I can see, any way of saying it will be cruel."

"Well, you can't entirely control the way he takes it," Karim replied, "but Isis is right. You just simply have to tell him, but be gentle about it. Just say that you've loved Mahado all along and that with a man like Mahado in your life, he never really had a chance with you-"

"Karim!" Isis admonished.

He grinned. "Fine, I was only half-jesting. Truthfully, I don't see why you should care so much about how he'll take it, because I think he's incapable of all feeling whatsoever."

"Well, he's been rather stoic thus far, but I think under that façade he puts up, he still is capable of some feeling. I don't want to take that chance though. So what do I do?" My nerves seemed to be on the breaking point.

"First of all, you have to be calm. Being nervous and flighty will only make things worse. Look him in the eye to let him know you are sincere, and then you just simply tell him. You can embellish it with some praise in the beginning, something like, 'It's not that I haven't enjoyed the time that we've had together…'"

"What time? They've hardly spent more than an hour in each other's company!" Isis interrupted.

"I was only using that as a general example. Or you could say, 'It's not you, it's me. I would give you my heart if I hadn't already given it to someone else, but I already have. There is nothing wrong with you.'"

"That's not entirely true for his case," Isis interjected.

"Fine, then you come up with some things she could say!" Karim said, frustrated. "Since obviously my examples don't meet with your approval!"

"You could start with some of that, but it's best if you just get to the point and get it over with, to make it less painful for the both of you," Isis said to me.

"On the contrary, that's likely to make it more painful. It's best if she start with some sort of flattery, to ease the sting."

"Why do I get the feeling that you've had plenty of experience with this before?" I asked in a half-teasing tone.

I thought I saw a faint flush creep into his cheeks. "Well…uh…"

"Isn't it obvious?" Isis answered for him, a sharp edge in her voice. "He's obviously had the pleasure of turning down quite a few ladies." I gasped. _A little jealously stirring in Isis? Surely not!_

Karim's face hardened. "It's not like I asked for all that attention! I didn't want all those ladies to be chasing after me!"

"Well, Karim, you shouldn't be surprised," I said. "You're tall, handsome, kind, considerate, and it doesn't hurt that you'll one day be a Guardian. No wonder the ladies are all over you!"

He flushed. "Well, really, there are plenty of other fine young men in the court…"

"But most aren't as genuine as you are; most of them are nothing but pompous, self-serving bastards. Come, don't be so modest. I'm sure that you'll make a fine husband one day."

"As fine as Mahado?" he asked provocatively.

"If I really must compare the two of you, then fine, you are second-best," I replied lightly, pretending not to see Isis practically seething beside me. "But of course, you know that you are like an older brother to me."

Karim's eyes danced wickedly as he suggested, "But the other men don't know that. I say between the two of us, we have some fun with them tonight."

Isis inhaled sharply. "What are you saying?" I could practically feel her jealously simmering from every inch of her body.

"I'm saying that I should be one of the men currying also for Jasana's favor, and that she should practice some of her flirting skills on me. It'll be a great joke, and will make the other noblemen even more jealous to see another close friend of Jasana's vying for her affection."

"It won't work! Jasana has never turned an eye to you before, and the other men will suspect something if you should suddenly appear to take an interest in her."

"It will perplex them even more and make their minds spin," I said, warming up to the idea. Karim offered me his arm, and I linked mine with his like a co-conspirator. "I say we do it," I said, smiling naughtily.

He laughed. "Although if Mahado finds out, then surely he will find some excuse to impale me on his sword the next time we are practicing battle arts for trying to steal his woman."

I giggled. "Oh, he won't, for I'll protect you, and besides, he knows you well enough to know that you're aware that I am definitely and entirely _his_ woman."

* * *

"So, how does this sound? 'Lord Seto, even though I seemed to greatly favor you last night, the truth is that my heart has only belonged to Mahado from the very beginning. It's not that I haven't enjoyed the time that we've had together; you're a very fine man, and I'm sure you'll make some woman very happy someday. I only deceived you to trick Meta and the other men. I'm very sorry, but this is the truth.'"

Nephthys snorted and stomped a hoof. I sighed. "I guess even to you that sounds ridiculous," I murmured as I passed a brush over her body. "Okay, how about 'Lord Seto, I am deeply sorry to have deceived you, but I cannot marry a marble statue like you, for a statue makes for a poor husband, and I cannot possibly love a statue.' There, short and sweet." My horse nickered and nudged my shoulder. "So you prefer that one? You're as harsh as Karim."

"I think I must be lower than Seto in your regards if you're really comparing me to a horse." I jumped and turned around to see Karim approaching. "And you must be desperate indeed if you are asking your horse for advice."

I grinned at him. "Well, Nephthys here has always been a great listener; she'll listen even when no one else will. Surely your horse has heard a few of your secrets."

Karim held out a piece of honeycomb to his horse as he led it out of its stall. "Well, I'm not sure if Nefertem here was really listening when I told them. Mayhaps he only listens to me rant because he has no other choice."

"Talking to a horse is nothing but madness." I felt my heart sink and Karim's smile immediately disappeared as we heard that cold, hard voice. I rolled my eyes before I donned a mask of sweetness towards Seto. "I am surprised that reasonable people such as you would do such a thing, if I may voice my opinions freely, Princess."

"Of course, I welcome honesty, Lord Seto. It is a trait that I highly favor in _all_ men." I saw Karim's lips curve into a smirk and quickly flashed him a warning with my eyes. "May I ask what brings you here to the stables at this hour?"

"A servant told me that you were here, Princess, and I was wondering if I may have the honor of riding with you today," he replied, his voice a monotonous drone.

"Of course, as long as you don't mind sharing my company with Karim. I find that the more men whose company I share, the greater the pleasure."

Karim burst out laughing, but under Seto's suspicious gaze he quickly turned his laughing into feigned coughing. "You seem to be feeling unwell, Karim, perhaps you should take a rest and leave me to accompany the princess alone." I raised my eyebrows; this was the first time that Seto ever expressed a desire to be with me alone, and for once his frosty gaze melted a little, and a small smile at his lips hinted that he wanted more than just to ride with me.

"No, I'm quite alright; it's only some of this dust that has caused me to cough. Besides, the Princess often enjoys her rides with me, and I would never think to deprive her of my company, especially after she has told me about how much pleasure she finds in being around me." Now it was my turn to suppress a laugh; already Karim was playing his part in the charade.

If Seto was disappointed, his face didn't betray it. "Very well." He motioned to one of the grooms. "I think I'll ride the chestnut today," he said, indicating to one of the stalls.

Noticing that he seemed to choose a different horse every time, I asked, "Have you yet to choose a favorite horse to call your own, Seto?"

"I find it foolish to become too attached to any particular horse, Princess," he replied coldly. "One horse is very much like the next."

"But I beg to differ, Seto. Horses are quite capable of becoming lifelong companions. In fact, they can prove to be just as good a friend as Man. Nephthys has been there for me through everything, she is one of my best friends, along with my human friends."

"Your horse is fortunate to be graced with such favor," Seto replied as he waited for the groom to saddle his horse.

"Rather, it was I who was fortunate enough to be graced by her favor," I said, recalling the day when Nephthys first nudged my shoulder all those years ago.

"Is that so?" Seto asked, appearing to be mildly surprised. I didn't say anything in reply as we mounted our horses and started off towards the Nile at a trot.

"So I believe that thanks to you, Mahado will make a full recovery."

I gazed at him, surprised that he would take an interest in Mahado. "Indeed he will. It was only by the graces of the Seven Hathors that Karim and I found him just in time. Had we arrived any later, only Ra knows if he would have lasted that long."

"Even so, perhaps you should have just left it to the guards to go looking for him. It is most foolish to ride out without an escort, and in the heat of the shomu (1). You were fortunate that you did not succumb to the heat out on the road."

His comment was like a slap to the face. "I am not completely ignorant, Lord Seto," I retorted. "Karim and I made sure to have an ample supply of water with us. And Karim escorted me, I did not venture out alone; only an idiot would be that foolish. Besides, if I left it to the guards to find Mahado, then he would surely have died out there. All the guards that were with him had fled during his attack; for all I know they could have been bribed."

"The guards wouldn't be so foolish as to go against _ma'at_ and accept a bribe to attack Mahado," Seto countered. "And it was most dangerous and foolish of you to jump that wall, if the stories I have heard are correct."

I resisted the urge to reach out and slap him. "Meta ordered the mages to conjure that wall; I did not willingly jump it myself, and I did it only out of necessity. Besides, I have attempted more dangerous things before, and it is not for you to coddle over me like that. I believe that is my father's job, and he has done an adequate job thus far; he doesn't need your help in looking after me."

Now he looked taken aback. "Of course. Forgive me for speaking out of turn, Princess."

I nodded curtly. "There is nothing to forgive, Seto. You were merely attempting to make conversation and voicing your concerns. Although I appreciate such concern, I must have you know that there is no need to fawn over me as if I can't take care of myself."

"Yet if you give me leave to say so, Princess, I believe that it is best to leave to servants to do anything that is unnecessary, such as attending to Lord Mahado." I thought I saw a faint spark of jealousy in his eyes. "There are other capable healers to attend to him, and other servants to serve him his dinner while he is bedridden." I suppressed a gasp. _He knew about last night! How? Did he set a spy on me? Does he know that I kissed Mahado good night? Oh Ra, does he know that this is all a charade? _

I fought the urge to panic. "I had no idea that you were so concerned as to set a spy to watch my every move, Seto," I said carefully.

"I would never presume to do such a thing; I merely overheard servants talking about it."

"Yet one must always be careful about what one hears, for most of the rumors are false," Karim said, bringing his horse in between Seto's and mine. "Besides, Jasana is a very skilled healer, and it is up to her to choose to heal whoever she wishes."

I passed him a coquettish glance. "Why, I'm flattered you should think so, Karim. And those aren't the _only_ skills I possess."

"Indeed, you are also quite skilled with other…_graces_," he rejoined, flashing me a wink. I saw Seto's eyes widen at this exchange between us and regard Karim as if he posed serious competition.

I giggled. "Why, I can see why so many of the other ladies have been taken by your charms. Such a shame that you have turned them all down."

"But with such a jewel like you among them, they should know by now that they are no match." Karim spoke so earnestly that for a moment I was convinced that his words were no charade, and I felt my cheeks growing slightly warm. But I reminded myself that he most likely meant those words as a brotherly compliment.

"And have you given your heart to no woman?" Seto asked. "Surely there is one among them besides the Princess who is lovely enough and charming enough to have captured your eye."

Now that I thought about it, I had never heard Karim mention a single woman to Isis, Mahado, or me, and we were his closest friends. I wondered if he had ever confided any infatuation to Shada. Slightly flustered, he replied, "I have yet to meet a woman worthy of my heart, save for the Princess." He fiddled with the reins as he spoke, which clearly indicated that he was lying.

Seto seemed to detect this as well, for he raised his eyebrows slightly. "Oh? Surely you have no ambition to marry and have a family of your own someday? Perhaps a wealthy noblewoman will do, and there are plenty who have admired your skills and seem to be taken with your personality."

"Ha! See, I told you so! Even someone like Seto has observed what you have been so oblivious to!" I said to him triumphantly.

Karim only replied quietly to Seto, "I have no wish to marry unless I was able to give that woman my entire heart as well as my life." Something in the look on his face put an end to the subject. I watched him as he attempted to cover up the anguish on his face.

The realization came to me suddenly. _Why, he's talking about Isis! Surely that's it! The woman he has given his heart to is Isis!_ But then his anguish puzzled me, as well as his resolve to remain silent on the matter.

_But there must be something wrong; why did he make that comment the other night? And why is he so reluctant to talk to anyone about it, even me? Also, why is Isis resolved to be so tight-lipped about the matter? I must investigate this, and I won't be satisfied until I have an answer from the both of them._

_

* * *

_

"Thank Aset you were there; otherwise the whole ride would have been so awkward!" Under the pretense of going to visit Mahado, Karim and I managed to get rid of Seto and were now taking our time walking towards the medical wing.

"What do you mean? It would have given you the perfect opportunity to turn down his offer if I hadn't been there," he replied.

"No it wouldn't! I would have been too nervous to say anything on that matter; most likely I wouldn't have said anything at all!"

Karim let out a small sigh, stopped, and put his hands on my shoulders. "Believe me, Jasana, the sooner you do it the better. Just do it and get it over with, and then you'll be clear to share your future with Mahado. You are making this harder than it needs to be. Just consider it practice for the unlikely event that you will sit in the ruler's chair for your brother and have to deal with unpleasant issues."

"Tonight will already be unpleasant enough." I glanced at a sundial that we passed. "And already the banquet is in two hours! And I still don't know what to say! Help!"

"Just follow my advice!" Karim said impatiently. "Kindly start with a little flattery, but then get straight to the point. Say it in as few words as possible; the worst you could do is drag it out and make it more painful for both you and him. I've said that at least three times already, and each time it seems to have failed to get through your head!"

I recoiled a little; he had hardly shown any impatience to me before. "I'm sorry," I said, reproached. "But I'm really nervous about this; I've never had to do anything like this before."

Karim gently took my arm in his. "It's natural for you to be; I remember I was nervous when I first had to reject someone. You just have to show sincere consideration for his feelings, but be honest nonetheless. The worst thing you could do is continue to feign affection when you have none."

"I'm already doing that, on your suggestion."

"But you're ending it soon enough. Also, you have to walk a fine line with him. You'll want to choose the right words so that he knows your intention and will give up the pursuit, but you don't want to be so harsh as to antagonize him."

I stiffened at his words. "What do you mean?"

"I simply mean that you have to be judicious. You may still need him as an ally one day, so you don't want to mar the relations between you two to the point where you make him an enemy. For all you know, he could prove to be a loyal ally and even a friend someday. So be careful what you say tonight."

I sighed. "So now you're saying that not only do I have to deceive people sometimes to serve my own ends, but that I have to measure people by how useful they can be to me. I don't want to treat people as simply tools and pawns, Karim."

"Don't put it in such a bad light; it is simply another process that comes with playing this game of politics wisely. And you can judge whose friendships will be useful to you while still seeing people as people. You've always valued people for who they are, and that is something that you don't have to give up in this game. In fact, that attribute of yours will win valuable allies to your side should you need them. But you need not worry too much about that now. I'm just saying that you will want to keep Seto's friendship, and to tread carefully tonight."

"With so much weighing on this encounter, I can't wait for tonight to end."

"Oh, don't be so pessimistic about it. We're having fun with the other men tonight, remember?"

I smiled. "And you were doing a fine job playing your role while we were with Seto earlier."

He chuckled. "Oh yes, that was great fun; the look on his face was priceless when I made that suggestive remark! Plus he was showing a little envy, if I wasn't mistaken. Who knew that he was capable of feeling such a thing?"

"I told you, under that façade of his, he is just as human as you and me, and therefore capable of feeling. And I for one thought nobody could throw you off your calm, and yet Seto managed to do it when he asked if anybody had captured your heart. I could tell you were lying. So tell me, Karim, who is it that has captured your noble heart?"

He abruptly dropped my arm. "You know me all too well. I told you that I would tell you later…"

"And it is now later. I think I already know who it is, I just want your confirmation."

He retook my arm earnestly. "Jasana, if you have even the slightest suspicion, promise me you'll keep it to yourself! Tell no one, not even your brother or Mahado! And knowing you, your suspicion is probably correct."

I gazed at him, puzzled. "But why do you want to keep it such a secret?"

His face darkened. "Because there are plenty of others who would work against me if they knew. And I'm not ready for anybody to know of it just yet; there are too many things I need to figure out. So please, promise me, Jasana. And I promise you that I will tell you when I am ready; you'll be the first person to know."

I was even more intrigued, but I knew that with a little patience, I would know about it all. He had given me his word, and he had never broken a promise before. "Very well, Karim, I promise."

With that, he smiled, and his good humor seemed to return. "Well then, shall we be off to visit your Osiris?"

A sudden shiver swept through me as I recalled the prophecy. "Don't compare Mahado to Osiris! You're suggesting that he'll die just as Osiris did!"

He patted my shoulder. "I didn't mean it like that, I only meant that he was meant for you just as Osiris and Aset were meant for each other, and I was comparing the love between you to theirs, one that was powerful enough to even overcome death. But if you prefer that I do not make that comparison, then fine. Shall we be on our way to visit your lover then?"

* * *

"I can't believe that you're actually letting Karim take part in your little act," Isis said sullenly, picking at the food on her plate. "I thought this idea was ridiculous before, but now it's a hundredfold more ridiculous."

"Why, I had no idea that you could be so jealous, Isis," I said mischievously. "But if what I've heard is true, then I'm the least of your worries."

"I'm not jealous! Why would I be jealous?" Her flushed cheeks said otherwise. "I just think that it's silly for Karim to be pretending to be one of your suitors is all, since he's always been a brother to you."

"Oh, don't pretend, Isis, it's written on your face as clearly as the walls are painted. You wish _you_ were the one he was paying attention to, don't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she stiffly replied as she took a sip of wine.

"But of course you don't," I rejoined teasingly.

Just then, Karim, who was sitting on my other side, placed a tender cut of duck on my plate. "Here, Princess Jasana, I know how much you favor duck meat that is tender, soft, and flavorful."

I smiled at him, aware of the other men turning their heads towards us. "Why, how thoughtful of you, Karim." I placed a small piece in my mouth and chewed slowly, half-closing my eyes so as to savor the meat fully, and all the while holding his gaze. "Indeed, this meat is especially soft and savory."

"It came from the duck's thighs." I saw the other men narrow their eyes out of the corner of my eye.

I licked my lips sexily. "No wonder this meat is so delicious, it comes from my favorite part of the duck's body!" I smiled widely, doing my best to suppress a laugh.

"How coincidental, for that is my favorite part of the duck too," Takam interjected, "although I prefer my meat to be a little bit _harder_ so that I can chew it and suck it and savor it even more."

"I warrant that my meat is more flavorful than yours, Takam," Amnerekh baldly joked.

"Let that be for the ladies to decide," Takam rejoined.

Before he could turn to me, another lady boldly said, "I shall gladly judge whose meat is the most savory and delicious, although I'm almost sure that it will be too hard for me to decide."

"Well then, Princess, does this lovely lady have your permission to judge on your behalf?"

Seeing that the lady was clearly taken with Takam, I laughed and consented, "With such an eager lady, how can I refuse?" I added privately to Karim, "Besides, there is only one man whose 'meat' I crave." Isis, having overheard us, let out a peal of scandalized laughter.

It wasn't long before Father stood, indicating that the banquet was at its end. He delivered a few words, and then everyone began trickling out of the hall. Some lingered for more music and dancing, but Father, Atem, Shada, Karim, Isis, the other Guardians, and I took our leave. I stayed by Karim's side and ostentatiously clung to his arm.

"If you cling any tighter," he teased, "you'll become my second skin!"

"I can't help it," I said mockingly. "Your arms are just so strong and muscular; I can't seem to keep my hands off them!"

"Allow me to pry her off you, Karim," Seto said, approaching us. "Princess Jasana, may I have a private word with you?"

"Of course, Lord Seto," I said nervously.

Karim gave my hand a comforting squeeze and whispered, "Remember, gentle, considerate, but honest. Good luck."

Seto offered me his arm, and I reluctantly took it. I looked over my shoulder to see Father give me an assuring smile, and Isis and Atem nod their heads, wishing me well.

He led me to a nearby garden. I pulled my arm out of the crook of his elbow and fingered the petals of a nearby flower. I was too nervous to sit down. The silence seemed to stretch awkwardly until I asked politely, "A beautiful night, is it not?" Khonsu shone down on us with his face radiating fully in all its glory.

"It is indeed," he replied. "So tell me, Princess, which is your favorite flower?"

"The lotus blossom," I answered, indicating towards a nearby pond. "Surely you know the story?"

"I don't believe I do. Perhaps you would like to enlighten me."

"Gladly," I replied, relieved to delay the purpose of the conversation, if only for a little while. "As you know, Osiris was murdered by his brother, but Aset managed to revive him for one night, in which they conceived Horus. At the end of the night, she was very sad and wept, knowing that Osiris would now have to depart for the Underworld. Osiris took her into his arms and said, 'Come, Sister, come, my love, do not cry. One day we shall be reunited, and nothing will separate us. But until that time, let this be a reminder to you of my undying love.' He held out his hand to her, and a lotus blossom appeared. Now, at that time, all lotus blossoms were blue. But he transformed this blossom into a white one: white for the purity of her soul, white for faith, white for his devotion. 'Just as a lotus closes every night and reopens every day, so shall my love for you persist, and so shall we be reunited again.'"

"An admirable story," he remarked. After a pause, he turned to face me, and I saw an expression on his face that I had never seen before. "I must speak frankly with you concerning our impending marriage. I have been told that you have willingly consented to our marriage, but given the past few days, I am beginning to doubt your resolve."

I could hardly bring myself to meet his gaze. "Lord Seto… I believe there has been a mistake. It was Meta who accepted your proposal on my behalf. I never agreed to this marriage myself."

"Nevertheless, my admiration and devotion for you remains unchanged, and I believe it would be best if we continue on." _What devotion?_ I thought harshly. "That is why I must tell you that once we are married, it would be most improper for you to carry on with your current behavior with the other men. It would serve as a poor example for the other noblewomen of the court. In addition, once we are married, I'm afraid that you will have to terminate certain friendships and begin new alliances."

I tensed; I had not been expecting this lecture. "What do you mean?" I asked coldly, all resolve to be polite quickly fading.

"If you are to be my wife, you must no longer seek the company of Karim, Shada, and especially Mahado. Your behavior with him has not been that of a proper Princess, let alone a Princess who is betrothed to another."

Now I could feel my anger seething. "You presume too much to speak to me thusly, Seto! How dare you even suggest that I give up my friendships with those three! They have been my friends for as long as I can remember! I would gladly choose their friendship over being married to the likes of a cold, heartless statue as you!" Immediately I regretted my cruel words. I took a deep breath, and then continued in a gentler, steadier voice, "Forgive me, but I cannot marry you, and I believe you have sensed this somewhat from the very beginning. You know too little of me to be able to love me as a woman; you only adore me as the Princess of Egypt. Likewise, I cannot give you the love that you deserve, for my heart has only ever belonged to one man, and that man is the man I wish to marry and share my life with. You would do better to find someone else to give your heart to."

Seto's face betrayed nothing as he regarded me for a long time. I was beginning to think that my words had fallen on deaf ears when he said slowly. "If you will permit me, Princess, may I ask what is it that Mahado possesses that I do not? What is it about him that makes him preferable to me?"

"The two of you are starkly different men," I answered carefully. "And it is not that he possesses something that you do not. I cannot explain the connection, but it is just that whenever I am near him, there is this feeling that I cannot begin to describe. It is as if I do not want to be anywhere else, and when he holds me, it is the most divine feeling in the world, and his kisses…" I stopped, feeling that I was beginning to reveal too much. "I would rather die than live without his love."

"I do not understand this… love, if that is what you call it. How do you know if it is really love? What if it is just a mere infatuation?"

"I have known what it is like to be infatuated with somebody, and believe me, what Mahado and I have is very different. It began when we were children, and over time it has grown stronger. That is how I know that this is love, in its purest form."

He sighed, and for once I saw a trace of regret on his face. "I'm afraid I'm incapable of such love…"

"I don't think so," I replied softly, and he looked at me in surprise. "Everyone is capable of loving someone; they just have to find the right person."

"How do I know that such a person exists? And how will I know if she is the right one?" It unsettled me a little to see this doubt in him.

For once, I smiled genuinely at him. "I'm sure that there is a woman out there who is meant for you, and once you meet her, you will know." I extended my hand towards him. "Until then, it is my greatest hope that we can be friends, and that there be no ill feelings between us."

He regained his decorum and said coolly, "I could never bear any ill feelings towards you, Princess, and if you wish it, then we can most certainly be friends." He lightly grasped my hand.

His eyes had regained their usual iciness, and despite his agreement, I couldn't help feeling slightly doubtful of his consent. "Well then, as my friend, you have my permission to address me simply as 'Jasana'. I find 'Princess' a little too formal for my friends to use around me."

"As you wish," he stiffly replied before bowing and taking his leave. I sank down on a nearby bench, relieved_. I did it! Now I guess only time can tell if we will truly be friends…_

_

* * *

_

**1- According to the Egyptian calendar, shomu was the hottest part of the year. **

**Thanks for reading! And please leave a review too! Chapter 28 is already finished and undergoing edits, so it should be up very soon! :)**


	28. A Mysterious Illness

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh**

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* * *

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"Is there really not a spell that can speed up the healing process? If I really have to go one more month without the use of my right arm, I think I'll go mad!" Mahado exclaimed.

I picked up an iris to inhale its scent. "I'm afraid there isn't," Isis replied for me. "There is only so much that we as healers can do. If we could, your arm would have already healed fully by now."

An uncommon frown creased his face. "If I could get my hands on whoever attacked me…"

"Has there been any progress on that matter?" I asked.

"The investigations are still pending, but there are several suspects that my uncle and the investigators have in mind," he replied.

Isis looked at the sundial and sighed. "It is time for my lesson with my aunt. By Hathor, I wish I didn't have to go," she said wistfully. "It is too fine a day to be trapped indoors at a boring lecture."

"Soon those lectures will be over," Mahado replied assuringly. "You and Karim will soon be initiated, will you not?"

"Yes, we will receive the rites, and then we'll be ready to take over whenever the Guardians are ready to step down." Isis picked up an armful of irises. "Well, if I really must spend two hours indoors, then I shall take a piece of the garden with me. Surely the sight of my favorite flower will make the time go by faster."

"And once you are done, we'll go for a ride and get out of the palace," I promised lightly. Isis smiled and took her leave, leaving Mahado and me alone.

He gently wrapped his left arm around my waist as we strolled about the garden. "So we are finally alone together," he murmured.

I smiled flirtatiously at him. "Oh? You speak as if it's been an eternity since we've been alone together."

"It certainly has seemed that way. In the past month, whenever I've seen you, it's always been with Isis, Karim, or your brother. I've hardly had a chance to speak to you privately in that time. Should it come as a surprise that I crave to be in your company in sweet solitude?"

I drew closer to him. "I too have been craving to spend some time alone with you. And here we are, getting what we wished for."

"Tell me again about that exchange with Seto. I'm beginning to think that I simply dreamed of it."

I recounted every word spoken for the second time. "So he finally let that decorum of his slip and showed some true human feeling," he said wonderingly.

"I told you and the others, under that cold façade of his, he is just as capable of human feeling as anybody."

He gazed warmly at me. "Well, I'm sure that you are right; there is another woman out there who is meant for him, and I certainly hope he will find the love that we have found. He definitely deserves it for conceding you to me so easily. If I were him, I wouldn't have given up the pursuit just like that; I would have put up more of a fight. Thank Thoth he did, and made my life a lot easier."

"Well of course you would, since it's not like you to give up something that you desperately want."

"Indeed, but I must say, there will need to be some rules if you are to be my wife. First of all, all those flirtations with the other men will have to stop. You will find that I will be a very jealous husband, and I won't stand sharing your affections with anyone."

I giggled and leaned into him. "That won't be too difficult a rule to follow. I've already stopped that charade, now that I finally have you. I will be all yours. Likewise, I have some rules of my own for you. No pursuing any other lady, not even those pretty servant maids that have been surely been attending to you while I'm not there. Just as you will be a jealous husband, I will be an equally jealous wife."

"My heart and soul are yours to command and possess," he said huskily, bending his head towards mine for a kiss, "if you will agree to become my wife, that is."

"Yes, of course I will," I replied as I let myself become lost in his embrace, returning his kiss with equal fervor. But as his hand moved to cup my breast, I abruptly pulled away. "Someone might round the corner and see us, and it could be Meta!" Although Father had already promised his protection, I still was slightly afraid of how she might react if she were to intrude on us at that moment and catch us kissing in such heated passion.

He grinned mischievously and pushed me against a wall. "Hardly anybody comes to the garden at this time of the day; they are all too busy. And even if they did, then let them see us. If it's Meta, then that would be even better; it's about time that she see that you are now truly and entirely mine…"

"Ohhhhh yes," I moaned as he muzzled my neck. "I am utterly and entirely yours, Mad." I let my hands wander to his belt, where I felt a growing bulge beneath his kilt. Our breaths came in jagged gasps, and I felt a sweet, burning pain in between my thighs, heightened as he pressed himself against me.

Just then, a voice interrupted our tryst, and we sprang apart. "Pardon me, Princess, but the Lady Aseneit has summoned Lord Mahado for a healing session." I was relieved to see Aramen standing in the hallway; she would not betray us. Nevertheless, my cheeks were burning.

With a groan Mahado tore himself from me and followed her down the hallway. I remained where I was, leaning against the wall, capturing every sensation and storing it away in my memories like a private jewel: the pressure of his lips on me, the feel of his body against mine, the smell of his hair, the sweetly painful throbbing desire, and the new sensation of that growth below his belt. As much as I hated to admit it, I had to thank Aramen for coming when she did; there was no way we would have stopped when the desire between us was so strong, and Father wouldn't have forgiven me if I had given myself to Mahado right then and there, as much as I wanted to. I smiled to myself, anticipating what would surely be one most pleasurable and passionate wedding night.

* * *

"Sorry, Bata, but you'll simply have to put up with me while your master recovers. He can't easily grip the reins with only one arm," I murmured gently as I tacked up Mahado's horse. He gave a plaintive nicker and turned his head towards Mahado.

Mahado laughed and gave Bata a comforting pat on the nose. "Oh, don't be too sad, boy, you're in good hands with Jani, that I can promise you. Indeed, she has very _skilled_ hands."

I blushed furiously as Karim teased. "And exactly where have those hands been, Mahado?"

"Oh stop it, Karim. Jasana and Mahado are entitled to certain liberties now that Seto is out of the way. Although I hope you two will be able to contain yourselves until the wedding night," Isis said, giving me an insinuating look that hinted that she knew something of what had passed between us when she left us alone in the garden.

"Barely," Mahado replied, "and it will definitely be a night my lady shall never forget." He smiled naughtily and passed me a wink.

Suddenly, Isis's hands began to shake. "Isis, are you all right?" Karim asked worriedly.

Isis smiled in a futile attempt to mask her puzzlement. "I'm fine; it's nothing," she replied blithely as she mounted her horse. I noticed that it took her more effort to do so than it normally would have, and she momentarily clung to her horse's mane for support. "That's strange; I just became dizzy all of a sudden."

"Perhaps you should drink some water before we head out," I said. "In fact, we should all bring some water with us; it's especially hot at this time of the day." With that, I motioned for the servants to bring water skins for each of us.

Isis took a long swig of water, and smiled. "Ah, that hit the spot!" Now let's ride!"

We only rode around the arena while Mahado walked Nephthys for me and watched us. After I had jumped that wall, I had begun experimenting with more jumps, which I had set up around the arena.

Suddenly Isis cried out in pain, put a hand over her heart, and collapsed off her horse. "Isis!" we all cried out in unison. Karim urged his horse into a canter and reached her before any of us did. He gathered her into his arms.

"What's happened?" I asked anxiously, feeling her arm for a pulse.

"She's fainted." Karim's brow was knit with worry. "We'd better take her to Lady Aseneit immediately." I leapt off Bata and grabbed Isis's horse by the reins, while Mahado took Karim's. We handed the horses to the nearby grooms and sped towards the medical wing.

We encountered Atem running with Mana in the hallway; apparently they were playing tag. Upon seeing us, they both stopped in their tracks. "What's this? What's happened to Isis?" Atem asked.

"She's fainted; perhaps she's taken ill. We're taking her to Lady Aseneit," I replied breathlessly. Atem and Mana immediately fell in step beside us.

We burst through the doors. "Lady Aseneit, come quick!" I cried.

She appeared so quickly, it almost seemed she had come by magic. "What is it, Princess?"

"It's Isis! She's fainted!"

Her eyes drifted to the figure in Karim's arms, and her eyes widened. "Let's put her in here," she said and led us to a small room." Karim gently laid her down. "Tell me what happened."

After we recounted the events of our ride for her, she pricked Isis's finger and drew blood. "I will conduct tests to see if there's anything in her blood, but such tests will take at least two days. In the meantime, it is best that we stabilize her condition until we know what ails her." She proceeded to concoct a brew of herbs and chanted a spell, moving her hands in circular motions over Isis's heart and head. "The spell I've cast takes quite a bit of heka to uphold, and I have other patients to attend to. The spell needs to be renewed twice a day. Jasana, will you be able to do it in my stead?"

"Yes, Lady Aseneit, I will definitely try," I replied.

"Good. I must go and attend the others; you may stay here if you wish. I will be back to check on her shortly."

Karim grasped one of her hands, and I grasped the other. _Oh Aset, Sekhemet, Ra, and all the gods of Egypt, hear me_, I silently prayed. _Please don't let Isis die! I need her! Please, let her make a full recovery!_

"What could possibly be ailing her?" Karim wondered out loud. "She's always been healthy; this is the first time she's ever fallen ill. Normally people don't just collapse like that, not even in this heat."

"I don't know what it could be," I replied. "Her symptoms don't match any of the illnesses that we've studied with Lady Aseneit. We'll just have to wait and see the results of her blood test."

"I don't like the looks of this," Mahado said grimly. "Look at her; she looks as if someone had cast a malignant curse on her."

Karim and I cast an anxious glance at each other. What if someone had indeed?

* * *

"I think I've finally figured out who Karim's mysterious lady is," Mahado said to me two days later as we picked irises for Isis. "He's hardly left her side since he brought her to the medical wing."

"You know?" I asked, surprised.

"Well, I had suspected something, since he had been acting out of sorts lately, but now I think I know for certain. I'm surprised that you know of it as well."

"I had suspected something between the two of them, and I've been trying to get them to confirm it, but neither of them would. There seems to be something amiss here, because both of them seem to be troubled by the feelings between them."

Mahado conjured a vase, and I transferred the irises from my hands to the vase. "Well, I'm sure that once this ordeal is over, we'll find out," he said reassuringly. "In the meantime, I propose that we present our gift to her."

I smiled and linked my arm in his. "That is a fine idea."

When we arrived at the medical wing, Lady Aseneit was there as well as Karim. "Ah, Princess Jasana, I have the results of Isis's blood test."

"What is it?" I asked apprehensively.

Lady Aseneit held out a black powder. "This is what I found in her blood. She has been given a powerful dose of it, and that is what caused her to collapse. Together with its corresponding spell, it robs a person of their heka and their energy, working over time to drain them entirely of life. Fortunately, the spell I've cast is keeping her alive, but if she receives any more of this powder she will die."

I shivered. "So what is the remedy?"

"Sadly, I've been searching the library, but I cannot seem to find a cure," she replied ruefully. "I've even enlisted Shada's help, and you know that he knows the library like the back of his hand. This is an extremely rare and expensive poison, so much so that our extensive library doesn't contain a medical scroll about it. I know little about this poison, or how to cure it. The only thing I know in this case is how to keep Isis in stable condition."

"But there has to be a cure!" Karim insisted passionately.

"If there is, then there is not a scroll in the library here in the palace that contains it," Lady Aseneit replied. "However, there may be a way to find one. The library at Alexandria is the only one that is larger and more extensive than the one here. The scholars there may know of a cure for this poison."

Karim rose to his feet. "Then I will travel there and find it myself."

"But that is at least a ten days journey!" I exclaimed. "Can Isis hold out for so long? And the journey will be dangerous, Karim!"

"It will take all of our efforts, but she can," Lady Aseneit said.

"I will take Shada with me; I bet he will be ecstatic to explore the library at Alexandria, and between the two of us, we are capable of warding off any attackers. I will go to your father and request the swiftest barge to carry us. We will be back as soon as we can. If you will excuse me, I will go now." With that, he swept out of the room.

"Who would do such a thing?" I asked, bewildered.

Mahado set the vase on a nearby table and soothingly stroked my shoulder. "I don't know, Jani, but whoever has done this is no friend of ours."

"Indeed they are not," Lady Aseneit agreed. "In the meantime, someone must constantly watch over her, and watch what she eats. In fact, I believe I will go to Pharaoh and request that he hire extra tasters for the medical wing, the Prince, yourselves, and the other Guardians. We mustn't let anyone else become poisoned."

* * *

Karim and Shada were to set sail the next day. As servants loaded the barge, Mahado and I came across Karim in the lotus garden.

"You're brooding, Karim, and that is so very unlike you," Mahado observed. "What is it?"

"I'm just worried about Isis," he replied, "and who could have done this to her."

Suddenly, I recalled what Karim had told me earlier. _"There are plenty who would work against me if they knew."_ What if someone had found out and was now working against him by poisoning Isis?

"You need not worry about her; Jani and I will be as vigilant as vultures while you are gone. Just hurry to Alexandria and back to us, although you may need to drag Shada out of the library against his will. Once he sets foot in there, most likely he won't want to leave."

Karim smiled feebly. "That may very well be the case, but I can't travel alone, and if there's someone to help me locate the cure faster, it's Shada."

Just then, a servant entered. "Lord Karim, the barge is ready."

Karim nodded. "Very good." Mahado and I accompanied him to the dock. Shada was already there, directing the servants to pack the last of the supplies they would need for the journey.

I embraced Shada, and then I hugged Karim tightly. "May Aset and Ra watch over you and keep you safe," I blessed. I couldn't help but feel a small twinge of fear that Karim and Shada would encounter misfortune on their journey and not return, leaving Isis to a terrible fate. I did my best to banish this fear as I smiled and released him.

"May they watch over you as well," he replied.

Mahado hugged him next. "May Thoth aid you in your quest," he said.

Karim and Shada boarded the barge, and as the rowers pulled away, they waved to us from the prow. We stood on the dock and waved to them until they disappeared from our view.

* * *

The palace felt strange and empty without Karim and Shada. Although several days would pass between the times I saw them when we were younger, now that we were older I had become accustomed to seeing them almost every day, at the evening meal at the very least. With the investigation on Mahado's attack still pending, I felt strangely vulnerable without the security of Karim's presence. He had always been the rock in our group, the strong assurance that _ma'at_ was being upheld and that everything would turn out as it should.

"I miss having Shada around," Atem whined. "At least he always made history lessons interesting; with only Shimon I get so bored I often can't help falling asleep! When do they get back again?"

"We can't expect them for at least another five days, my Prince," Mahado replied as he perused a scroll. "By now they should have reached the city; let's hope that they find what they're looking for quickly and come back. Without Shada around, it takes me twice as long to find the scrolls that I'm looking for."

"And without Karim around, Seto is the one with the most wit, and we all know how dull he can be," Atem added.

Just then Isis stirred weakly, and Mahado spooned some broth into her mouth. She half-consciously took it. "Mahado… where's Karim?"

"He's gone to find a cure for you," he answered.

"We'll get you healed in no time," I added. She closed her eyes again with a long exhale. I renewed Lady Aseneit's spell, moving my hands in circles and chanting the same words she did. But the spell didn't seem to be working. "That's strange; my spell is not taking effect."

Mahado picked up my hand. "It's because your heka has yet to regain its full strength; it's still very weak. Maybe it's better if I perform the spell."

"Let me try again," I insisted. I closed my eyes and concentrated. _Please, Aset, please let this work_. With great determination, I recast the spell, and it seemed to hold. "You can renew the spell next time, Mad," I said. "Lady Aseneit did say that it will take all of us to keep Isis alive."

Atem glanced at the water clock. "It's time for our battle arts lesson with Uncle Akhnadin. I'm determined to outshine the other boys this time!" At his age, Atem was now eager to engage in mock battles against the other sons of noblemen that he practiced with. Many of them were bigger and older than he was, and were often victorious. However, I knew it was only a matter of time before he bested them.

"Very well, I shall send for one of the other healers to come and watch over Isis." As I stood up, I was suddenly hit with a bout of dizziness, and I staggered and grabbed my brother's shoulder for support.

"Jani! What is it?" Mahado asked anxiously, grabbing my arm.

I tried to shake off the dizziness. "It's nothing; I suppose I just stood up too quickly is all."

Yet it became clear that I was not well. As we walked towards the battle arena, it felt as if every step was slowly draining me of energy. When we arrived, I was panting heavily.

"Jasana, are you all right?" Akhnadin asked. "You look pale!"

"She was fine just now," Mahado said in my defense.

"Perhaps the Princess should take a rest and refrain from the lesson today," Seto suggested.

Akhnadin was about to agree, but I stubbornly replied, "Nonsense, I will take part just like everybody else." However, as I picked up my sword, my arm was visibly shaking, and it fell to a ground in a clatter as I collapsed to my knees.

"Jani!" Mahado cried, rushing to my side. His eyes swam in my vision before I fainted in his arms.

* * *

I lay in delirium, dreaming strange dreams and calling out for my mother and for Nebatet. I even remember calling out for Kanakh and the other men I had pretended to favor.

Someone was spooning some hot broth into my mouth, and in my semi-consciousness I realized it was Atem. "Atem…" I softly moaned. "What's happening to me?"

"You're very sick, and you barely have any heka left in you," Atem replied worriedly. "I need you to do something: reverse the spell that you cast on Isis. Pretty soon it will drain you of all the heka you have left."

It took a great deal of concentration, but I managed to reverse the spell before returning to a fitful sleep. I had a nightmare of Mahado being attacked and bleeding to death before my very eyes, his voice rasping out, "Jani…"

"Mad!" I cried out, my eyes snapping open.

"Sssshhhh… I'm right here, Jani," I heard him say as he pressed a cool hand to my cheek. "Calm yourself, you were having a bad dream."

"Don't…go…." I whispered, already returning to the oblivion of sleep.

He pulled another blanket over my shivering body. "I've always been here, Jani, and I will stay right here until you recover. Now get some rest. Do not be afraid, for I'll stay with you…"

The next thing I remember was a pair of strong arms propping me up and a cup being held before my lips. A vague voice said, "Drink this, Jasana." Some bitter liquid settled on my tongue, and I recoiled. "I know that it's bitter, but it's the only thing that will cure you. Come on, just take it one little sip at a time. Trust me, it's unpleasant now, but you'll feel better if you drink this to the last drop." Despite the bitterness, I managed to take sip after sip until I had half of the cup down. "Well, I guess that will have to do."

With a great effort, I opened my eyes and Karim's face blearily came into view. "Karim…" I rasped, weakly throwing my arms around him. "You've returned…"

"And not a moment too soon, by the looks of you."

I struggled to sit up, and realized that I was propped up in Mahado's arms. "Isis…"

"She will be all right; Shada is giving her the same concoction I gave you just now."

I struggled to keep my eyes open, and my voice appeared to have faded altogether as I asked in a thread of a whisper, "What happened? How long have I been like this?"

"You were feverish and delirious for seven days," Mahado said. "Lady Aseneit tested your blood, and found the same poison that Isis had. But yours had been administered for a longer period of time, and in smaller doses, which explains why your heka had been gradually weakening. She estimates that it had been administered to you for months, around the time your heka started to show signs of weakening. She went straight to the Pharaoh, and he was furious. He is conducting an inquiry among the other nobles as we speak."

If I wasn't so weak, I would have reveled at the sensation of being in Mahado's arms. "I was poisoned? But how? And does this mean I will regain my heka?"

"That is what your father is working to find out," Karim answered. "And let's focus on regaining your strength first, and then we will work on regaining your heka. But yes, you should be able to regain your heka once you're fully recovered.

I looked up into Mahado's face and noticed the dark circles under his eyes. "Mad! You're looking pale. Are you unwell?"

He smiled tiredly. "I'm fine, Jani. It's just that casting the spell for both you and Isis has taken its toll on me, that's all."

"Not to mention that he's slept little while you were sick, trusting no one but himself to watch over you," Lady Aseneit added as she walked in. "When your heka began to weaken, you should have come to me straightaway so that I can test your blood. Then we would have caught this sooner. Thank Sekhemet you were able to find a scroll that detailed the poison and its cure, Karim. You are truly a noble hero for undertaking such an endeavor."

"It's nothing; I would have traveled all the way to Persia if it was necessary to cure these two ladies." I noticed that his eyes were on Isis, who was resting nearby, and I know what he meant to say: that he would have traveled that far just for Isis.

Just then, Atem entered. "Sister! Thank goodness you're awake!" I nearly had the wind knocked out of me as he flung his arms around me.

"It's good to see you, Brother," I said in a strangled voice.

"You've no idea just how worried I've been about you! And Father too! You should have seen his face when he was notified of your illness."

Shada left Isis's side and joined us. "Did you turn that man in to the Pharaoh?" Karim asked.

"Yes, I did, and I believe he will prove to be most useful to the investigations."

"What man?" I asked.

"On our way to Alexandria, we were trailed by this man. I caught him just as he was about to plunge a dagger into Shada's back," Karim answered. "After a little probing, he confessed that he had followed us all the way from Thebes, and that he was an assassin hired to get rid of us."

"An assassin?" I asked, shocked.

"Yes."

"But that means…"

"That someone is after us," he grimly said, finishing my sentence for me. "In fact, given what's happened over the last several days, I'd say someone is after all of us. Now the only question is, exactly who is that someone?"

* * *

**Teehee, nothing like a good little cliffhanger to keep you guessing and anticipating the next chapter, although it probably won't be much of a surprise. **

**I took a little historical liberty by including Alexandria in here. If we're to follow the anime, which says that Atem ruled 5,000 years ago, or the manga, which says that he ruled 3,000 years ago, then Alexandria wouldn't have been built for quite some while, until the reign of Alexander the Great. **

**But anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter nonetheless! Thanks for reading, and please, as always, leave a review! Chapter 29 is already finished, and Chapter 30 is also close to being done! I am on a roll here! :D**


	29. A Plea for Forgiveness

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh**

**

* * *

**

I awoke to the scent of irises, lotuses, and jasmine. I lazily opened my eyes and smiled at the sight of a single lotus blossom floating in a small bowl on the table by my bed. I glanced over to where Isis lay, and saw a bouquet of irises and jasmine gracing the table at her bedside. I inhaled deeply; apparently our men had gathered them earlier that day, for the scent was fresh.

Isis stirred from her sleep, and upon seeing the flowers, she smiled. "Why, how lovely! And how thoughtful of the one who put them there…"

"Surely you can't guess exactly who would be so thoughtful?" I teased.

Before she could reply, our men swept in. "Ah, you two are finally awake after all this time!" Mahado said jokingly. Both he and Karim bore trays. "We've brought you your morning meal, and I've an additional treat for you, Jani." He sat on the edge of my bed and planted a kiss on my lips. "Good morning, my love," he whispered privately in my ear.

I giggled. "So that was the extra treat? That was very sweet indeed. "

He laughed. "Oh no, I've brought ice with lotus syrup for you too."

Isis quickly finished her breakfast and said, "Well, I think this is a fine morning for a walk in the gardens; I've missed them while I've been stuck in here."

"I'll go with you," Karim volunteered. He helped her out of her bed and the both of them swept from the room. Isis was already almost fully recovered. However, since I had received more gradual doses and had fallen ill later than she did, I was still bedridden.

Mahado fed me my breakfast, and then he spooned the syrup-and-ice mixture into my mouth. "This will help you regain your strength," he explained.

"Mmm… not to mention it's quite delicious," I said. "But I'm perfectly capable of feeding myself."

A trickle of syrup had dribbled down the side of my mouth, and Mahado leaned forward to lick it off, kissing me in the process. "Oh, but I quite enjoy feeding you, Jani, especially when it comes with such a delicious reward." He continued to feed me the sweet treat, deliberately spilling a little syrup so that he could proceed to lick it off me.

"You're spilling syrup on me on purpose," I mockingly accused him.

He grinned nonchalantly. "I don't know what you're talking about; this syrup just doesn't like to stay on the spoon, or in your mouth for that matter."

"Why don't you just spoon some for yourself?" I teased.

"Because it's much sweeter when I lick it from your lips," he answered as he continued to lick some more syrup off me.

I formed a naughty image in my mind of where else I could dribble the syrup on my body so that he could lick it off, and likewise where I would like to dribble it on his body and lick if off slowly, like a cat lapping at a bowl of milk. I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks as I tried to push the thoughts from my mind. "I bet it would be sweeter if I were to lick if off you," I said scandalously.

"Oh, but you'll have to wait for that," he murmured as he kissed me one more time. His tongue moved between my lips and I felt a moan tear from my throat as I felt the heat diffuse to my breasts, my abdomen, and that sensitive area in between my legs. His hand wandered to my stomach, my waist, and was slowly inching my dress up, revealing my calves, and then my thighs.

"Mad…oh Mad…" I moaned, pulling him closer to me. "Take me… take me now… let's not wait until our wedding night…" After all, it wasn't exactly taboo for us to make love before we were married, especially if we were already to be engaged. I had heard of many couples who bedded long before they were married.

With a frustrated sigh, Mahado pulled away from me. "I shouldn't be doing this to you, Jani. It's not fair to you."

"But I want you so badly!" I whimpered. "I don't care; it's not fair to deny yourself to me like this!"

"I want you too," he said, taking my hands and kissing them. "But I know that it's best if we wait until our wedding night; it will make that night even more special and memorable for the both of us. To take you like this, in secrecy, like a common whore, does not do you justice as my future wife."

"By Ra, it seems like an eternity away, and you're driving me mad with all this teasing of yours."

"Oh, believe me, Jani, you've been driving me crazy with desire since that morning in the garden. If I'm not mistaken, you could feel the evidence." That evidence was rising below his belt again.

"You could hardly restrain yourself, if I remember rightly, as you are containing yourself now."

He smiled wickedly. "Oh, I may be behaving myself now, but once we are married, you can rest assured that Hathor herself will envy you for having a husband like me in your bed!"

* * *

Three days later, I was finally able to get out of bed and walk around, although Lady Aseneit and Lord Serewakht advised that I not try to perform any magic until my heka strengthened. Under Lady Aseneit's watchful eye, Isis and I slowly regained our strength, and she began the treatment to restore our heka. Unfortunately, that treatment consisted of us taking that bitter concoction of herbs at least twice daily. We sweetened it by calling for ice and syrup.

That night, I returned to the banquet hall on Mahado's arm. "Why, our lovely Princess has returned to us! We are so glad that you are now recovered from your illness," Amnerekh said.

I smiled politely at him. "I appreciate your concern for my health, Amnerekh." I clung tighter to Mahado's arm and turned away to take my seat with him. I caught a glance of Amnerekh's confusion at my cool politeness, and I heard whispers among the men and women at the sight of me with Mahado. Only Seto acted as if nothing was amiss, calling to a servant for more wine. Meta glowered at me; although she had largely remained out of my way since that night I had thrown her out of my rooms, her loathing for me was still clear, and I felt a slight fear that she was merely biding her time until she could think of some other way to hurt me. _Try your best Meta, but your reign over me is through,_ I silently gloated.

Father summoned forth the musicians and the dancers, and without me to flirt with, the other men gazed at them with rapt attention, catcalling to them as they swiveled their hips, causing the beads to clack against their thighs.

A small smile tugged at the corners of Mahado's lips as he eyed the dancers, and I hissed to him, "You seem to be really enjoying the view, Mad."

He turned to me, a full smirk forming on his lips. "Becoming jealous already, Jani? I'll have you know I was simply thinking about how very much I would like to see you dressed as one of those dancers, clad in nothing but a beaded girdle. I daresay you would put them all to shame!"

"Shall I swivel my hips and perform somersaults to send your blood rushing as well?" I replied, playing right along.

"I'm afraid you will only injure yourself, causing yourself to be confined to your bed and leaving me to be your most obedient servant."

"Should that happen, you would have to follow my _every_ command," I murmured seductively, running my hand along his muscular thigh under the table, where no one could see. He shivered under my touch.

He grabbed my hand. "Be careful, my love, or else I might have no choice but to take you right here, right now, in front of everyone."

I giggled huskily. "That would be just the sight for Meta!"

Our flirtation was interrupted as a hush fell over the room. Father stood up, clearing his throat. Once he had everyone's attention, he proclaimed in a loud voice, "I propose a toast in honor of my daughter, who has accepted Mahado's hand in marriage! The wedding shall be set at a date according to their pleasure."

The hall erupted in cheers as everyone raised their cups to me. Seto appeared as indifferent as always. My eyes met Akhnadin's, and he smiled grudgingly as he raised his cup to me. The other men looked shocked, but did their part as courtiers and heartily toasted us. Meta looked absolutely furious, and she was the only one who refused to raise her cup. Karim, Isis, Shada, and Atem were positively beaming.

Mahado wrapped his arm around my shoulder, and my arm came around his waist as we returned the toast. The wine tasted as sweet as my victory; finally, despite Meta's attempts to interfere, I was going to be married to the love of my life, and there was nothing she could do to stop me. She continued to glare at us for the rest of the banquet.

One of the men boldly called out, "Let's have a kiss from the happy couple!" The others quickly shouted their agreement.

I blushed at the request and looked over to my father. He smiled and nodded, as if to say, "Why not?"

Mahado pulled me to him, grinning. "Might as well oblige them," he said cheerfully as he planted a long, deep, passionate kiss on my lips. "After all, it's good practice for our wedding kiss."

The glorious moment was interrupted when Meta screeched, "Enough of this unseemly display! Such sentiments should be reserved for the bedroom! Or would you gentlemen like to see them make love right here on the table as well?"

Several of the ladies gasped at this outburst. His gaze frosty, Father replied, "There is no harm in a kiss to demonstrate their love. If you remember, Lady Meta, I also kissed Hathoraset on the night our engagement was announced."

A look of pain flashed across Meta's face before she angrily stood up and stormed from the hall. Several members of the court gaped after her before resuming their whispers. Father clapped his hands and signaled for the music to resume as if nothing had happened. "Come, let's dine!" he commanded. "And we shall celebrate a marriage that will rival that of mine and my beloved late queen's."

* * *

"So tell me, my love, when do you think our wedding should be?" Mahado and I were walking in the garden, enjoying the beauty of Khonsu's silver light on the plants. He reached down to pick a lotus blossom and tucked it behind my right ear.

I smiled, thinking. "Well, the servants will need time to prepare for the feast, and announcements will need to be made and sent to all the foreign kingdoms, and their emissaries will need time to travel."

"That is true enough, so let's say three months?"

"Three? Unfortunately, I think it will take six months for all the preparations to be made."

Mahado blinked at me in surprise. "Six? Hathor have mercy! I don't think I can wait that long! Why all the preparations? Why can't it just be a quiet ceremony, short and quick?"

I laughed. "That's what you get for marrying the Princess of Egypt. And I promise the wait will be well worth it."

He laughed with me. "Oh, I have no doubt of that. But these six months can't pass quickly enough. Just think of what our life will be like together… and our children…"

I couldn't suppress the mixed feelings the word "children" brought up. On one hand, I yearned for a family; what woman didn't? But on the other hand, I knew that childbirth was a dangerous business, and I felt a sadness settle in my chest as I thought of my mother.

We made our way towards my chambers, and Mahado seemed to sense my fear. He hugged me closer to him. "Oh, don't be so afraid, my love. You are young, healthy and strong. I'm sure that you won't have any trouble with childbearing. And I think it's safe to say that before long, we shall have several children running underfoot."

"Do you want sons or daughters?"

"Both, of course! How about we split it evenly: five daughters and five sons?"

I playfully pinched him. "_Mad_! Surely you don't want _ten_ children! That's too much!"

"Oh? Because I will surely bed you enough times to bear twelve children before we are twenty!" he joked.

"It's not the bedding part that I mind, but the bearing! Don't you know the toll children take on women's bodies?"

"Eight then?"

"Six, at the most," I replied firmly.

By that time we had arrived at the anteroom to my chambers, and found Meta sitting on one of the couches. "How dare you intrude like this, Lady Meta!" I scowled.

She smiled malevolently. "I had merely come to congratulate you personally on your betrothal, and since you were not here, what else could I do except wait? The Sisters were especially kind to let me in."

I frowned; of course her minions would let her intrude on my rooms in such a way. "Well, I believe you had made your thoughts on my betrothal quite clear; you need not have come to congratulate me yourself, especially when we both know such sentiments would be false. Get out."

"Not so fast," she snapped. "Do you really think he loves you? He's just as lusty as any of them. Why, I warrant that the both of you came here to consummate your betrothal! No doubt you would have done it in front of the entire court if you could!"

"You speak poison, Meta, and always have," Mahado said coldly, placing himself protectively in between the two of us. "And you heard the Princess; she told you to get out."

"Have you forgotten my threat, Sahm-Aset? You won't live to see a happy life with your beloved!" She started to chant the same words of her spell, and the chains manifested themselves along my arms.

"No! Jani!" Mad cried, horrified at the sight on my arms. Immediately he started to chant a protective spell.

But, to my surprise, I didn't feel the same pain I felt when she first cast the spell. Meta seemed perplexed by this as well, and increased her chanting with fervor. But her spell was cut short with a scream. The chains along my arms disappeared and reappeared on hers instead, and she writhed with the pain.

"No!" I heard myself scream, despite myself. I began to chant a spell in an attempt to reverse her curse, but to no avail. Her screams brought servants rushing in, followed by my father.

"Take the lady to her rooms!" Father ordered. Two nearby servants complied. He turned to me. "What happened?"

"She… she…," I stammered.

"She cast a curse on the Princess," Mahado answered. "But somehow her spell backfired on her instead."

Father's jaw tightened. "I see. Guards! See to it that the lady Meta is confined to her rooms. She is not to go anywhere, on pain of death. Do I make myself clear?"

The guards bowed. "Yes , sir!" They then disappeared.

Father laid his hands on my shoulder. "Jasana, are you all right?" he asked.

"Yes, Father, I'm fine," I said shakily.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. Why don't you get some rest? Tomorrow morning I want you in the throne room; they are to conclude the investigations, and I want you present when the investigators make their presentation. You too, Mahado."

Mahado nodded, and Father left the room. Mahado gently gathered me close with his left arm as I tried to still my shaking. "Was that the curse that she had threatened you with that one night?" he asked.

I nodded, too shaken to speak. When I finally found my voice again, I asked. "What just happened?"

"That in itself is a mystery to me," he answered. "But you're safe now, and I promise that I will never let Meta come anywhere near you ever again. It's best if you try to get some sleep tonight; tomorrow you will have to rise early for the audience." He tenderly kissed me good night and then left. But I found myself tossing and turning that night, replaying the events with Meta in my head. Finally, recalling the memory of Mahado's kiss, I managed to lull myself to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, I anxiously joined Father, Atem, the other Guardians, Karim, Isis, and Mahado in the throne room to hear the results of the investigations. Lord Serewakht had led the investigations, and he now stood before us on the dais. With him was another man.

"That's the man that tried to kill Shada and me," Karim whispered to me.

I carefully inspected the man. He stood as if he was proud of what he had attempted to do; there was not a single shred of remorse in his face. He was flanked on either side by two guards.

"Tell Pharaoh what you have told me," Lord Serewakht commanded him.

The man stood sullenly, refusing to obey. Seeing that he wouldn't speak, Lord Serewakht spoke for him. "He has confessed that he was indeed the man who attempted to attack Karim and Shada. And furthermore, his ka matches the description that Mahado gave us."

At this news, I let out a gasp. _So not only did this man try to kill Karim and Shada, but he also tried to kill Mahado as well! The two incidents were linked!_ I glanced over at Mahado and the others, but their expressions betrayed nothing.

Pharaoh turned to his Guardians. "Akhnadin, reveal this man's ka. Mahado, you will confirm for us whether or not this ka was the one that attacked you."

Akhnadin complied. The man groaned in pain, and a big black dragon with red eyes manifested itself before us.

Mahado intently studied the creature and then said, "Yes, this was the same one that attacked me."

Serewakht continued, "The man confessed that when he attacked Mahado, he was working with two other men. The descriptions he gave match those of one Takam and Kanakh of the court."

Now I felt myself boiling with anger. _So those noblemen were part of the plot! They tried to get rid of Mahado so that they could have a chance at marrying me in his stead! And Kanakh, that bastard! Not only did he fool me, but he would take my love away from me!_

"On whose orders were you acting?" Father asked the man.

"I acted of my own accord."

"You lie," Akhnadin said, his Millennium Eye glowing. "You are not part of this court, and would have no reason to attack Mahado unless if someone ordered you to." He paused, letting his Item do its work. Then he turned to my Father. "Akhenamkhanen, you are not going to like what I am about to tell you."

"Go on," Father prompted him.

"He was acting on the orders of Meta, who paid him a good fortune to kill Mahado, Shada, and Karim."

There was a collective gasp from the other Guardians, and Father looked thoroughly shocked. "It can't be… I trusted her! I entrusted Jasana's care to that wench!" He stood up. "Akhnadin, you're coming with me. I will question her presently myself, even if she is unwell! Throw this scoundrel into the dungeon, and seize Kanakh and Takam as well. I will decide on their punishment after I am through with Meta." With that, he stormed from the room, Akhnadin and Lord Serewakht on his heels.

There was a brief awkward silence before Shimon said, "Well! I believe the audience is done and we are dismissed. My Princess, Prince, Mahado, Karim, Isis, and Shada, you may use the remaining time at your leisure. I expect that in time, Akhnadin will want to tutor you in the battle arts, and this afternoon I will be expecting you for your battle magic lesson, as usual." With a nod, he dismissed us.

"I knew it!" Karim gloated triumphantly. "I knew that bitch was involved! This will be the end of her, for sure!"

"I have to admit that was uncanny of you to sense her involvement," Isis said.

"It wasn't that hard to figure out," Karim replied. "Someone attacked Mahado, and it had to have been someone who wanted him out of the way, and who else wants him out of the way more than Meta and some of the noblemen?"

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally she's caught. Now we just have to wait and see what her punishment will be."

"Surely it will be something harsh, as befits her many crimes," Karim said smugly. "And when she faces her punishment, I will laugh right in her presence; I won't be sorry in the slightest bit."

"Neither will I," I replied, as smug as he.

* * *

The next day, I stood behind Father with Atem, and Mahado, Karim, Isis, and Shada stood with their respective Guardians as the three men were brought before the dais to be sentenced.

Father's voice boomed out, "For their attempt on the lives of Mahado, Karim, and Shada, these men will have their kas sealed before they are put to death."

Takam cried out for mercy; Kanakh and the other man remained silent and collected.

Akhnadin used his Millennium Eye to reveal each man's ka, and the Seto held his Millennium Rod before each ka and chanted, "Millennium Rod, seal this beast within the tablet of stone over yonder, I beseech thee!"

The eye on the Millennium Rod began to glow, and Kanakh cried out in pain as the creature was sealed within the stone tablet. He then collapsed. The same happened to the other two men, and they were consequently dragged back to the dungeon, where the guards would see to their physical end. Already their spiritual end had come as their kas were sealed in stone.

Isis's aunt, the Priestess of the Millennium Necklace, asked, "What of the lady Meta? She was the mastermind behind these plots; surely her punishment should befit her crime."

"Not only that, but she was also responsible for poisoning the Princess and the Lady Isis," Akhnadin added.

Father hesitantly replied, "Since she is already very ill, I will withhold her punishment. She is already on her way to death, but I shall deny her any treatment from the healers which will lead to her recovery."

I let my mouth drop open. Meta was dying of a mere illness! To me, that seemed quite the merciful death compared to what she would have received if she had been well. "But Father…" I interjected.

Father held up his hand to silence me. "The pain that she is going through suffices as punishment enough, I would think. Now I believe this audience is over. You are all dismissed." Everyone began to take their leave. I was just about to leave with Atem, Isis, Karim, Mahado, and Shada, when Father bid me to remain behind.

"Meta has one dying wish, Jasana, and that is to speak with you in private."

"What? Of course not! For all I know, she could finish the job that she started and kill me!"

"Her heka is practically nonexistent now; she will be incapable of such a thing. I will send a guard with you, and Mahado will be there to protect you should she try anything."

"Why should I indulge this wish of hers? I don't owe her anything, and I most certainly have no wish to lay my eyes on her face ever again!"

"What if I were to wish that you grant her request?" Father asked, and something in his face caused me to reconsider. He looked very sad, as if he was grieving for a loved one.

"Father, did you care for Meta?" I asked carefully.

He assumed a mask of indifference. "That is neither here nor there," he answered shortly. "I only ask that you indulge me and grant Meta's request. It will only be a short while, and soon enough she will be dead and you won't be bothered with her ever again. Can you do that for me?"

I sighed. "Very well, Father. When should I go and see her?"

* * *

"I can't believe I'm doing this," I grumbled under my breath later that afternoon. "Even as she lies dying, she still wants to see me and do me harm."

Mahado comfortingly patted my arm. "It won't take long, Jani, and I'll be right there to protect you. You need not fear her; she only has enough life energy left to barely keep her alive."

"I haven't the slightest idea what she would want to say to me, unless it was some more lies about my mother."

We swept into Meta's anteroom, where all of the Sisters sat, save for Aramen. Meret, Safira, and Ankh-nefera were openly weeping. There were traces of tears on Teraset's face, but she remained relatively composed as she stood to greet me. "Lord Mahado, you may wait here. The Lady Meta wishes to speak with the Princess alone."

"But I must insist that he accompany me; it's for my safety."

Teraset narrowed her eyes. "Your safety, Your Highness? With her in her condition, I assure you, you don't need your betrothed's protection."

"How about a compromise?" Mahado intervened. "I will merely stand at the threshold, but I won't go inside."

Teraset grudgingly nodded and ushered us inside. Despite my hatred for Meta, I gasped as I saw her. Now the black chains had etched themselves all over her, even her face, and she looked as if she had aged a hundred years in a single day. And she appeared to be quite weak; there was no way she could do me harm.

Good as his word, Mahado quickly kissed me on the forehead before lingering at the threshold. Slowly, I approached Meta's bedside. Her eyes were closed and she appeared to be in an agonized sleep.

Having sensed my presence, she opened her eyes. "So, you decided to come. I had almost expected that you would refuse, given how much you hate me."

"I'm only here because my father begged me to come," I said coldly. "Believe me; I did not come of my own free will. Just tell me what you want so that I can go."

"I want you to know the truth…" she said, her voice fading fast. "I want you to hear my side of the story, the story that you never knew. You only know Nebatet and your mother's side. But now, before I die, you shall hear mine."

"And what makes you think I'd want to hear it?"

"Perhaps you don't, I won't deny that. But nevertheless I will tell it, and even though I know I can't force you to listen, I can only hope that you will hear me."

For a moment I hesitated, but something in her voice made me take pity on her, and out of the corner of my eye I could see Mahado nod his head. So I knelt beside her, settling in and preparing to listen to whatever she had to say.

She sighed, and then began her story. "As you probably know, Hathoraset and I were friends when we were very young. My parents and I had moved to Egypt from Persia, and she immediately made me feel welcome, even though she was three years older than me. We were inseparable. However, as we grew up, things changed.

"My parents were very conservative and had me learn only the arts that they deemed suitable for a lady. Even though we were in Egypt and had more freedom, they kept a strict eye on me. Hathoraset however, had all of the freedoms that every Egyptian girl of noble birth had. She learned magic, which she taught to me in secret, and I was thrilled that she would treat me with such special favor. However, it would not last."

"Nebatet soon came to the court, and she befriended me first. But since I was constantly watched by my parents, she grew bored with me and grew closer to Hathoraset. After all, your mother was very popular at court, and once she extended her hand to Nebatet, she would have been a fool not to befriend her. She was charmed by Hathoraset, as were many others, even me. Once she had Nebatet, your mother ceased to spend time with me. I was left behind as they advanced to more difficult magic. The heka never took hold in me, and I could never perform anything beyond the simple spells your mother taught me. Once it became clear that I could advance no further, your mother ceased to spend time with me altogether. I felt hurt and abandoned, both by her and Nebatet, who ceased to be my friend once she became Hathoraset's confidante.

"My parents were soon discussing my prospects. I had turned fifteen, and still no man had taken an interest in me. Seeing as that was the case, my parents reluctantly finally allowed me to have the education that every Egyptian woman had. I joined your mother and Nebatet in the lecture hall and soon became somewhat closer with them, although they were clearly the best students and were therefore very popular.

"It wasn't long after that when I befriended your father. He seemed to take a great interest in me at first, and my parents were thrilled, thinking that I could be the next Queen of Egypt. Their excitement infected me as well, and I thought that he perhaps loved me, even though his conversation towards me was never anything beyond polite and friendly. Naturally, through me, he met your mother, and, but of course, like everyone else, he was charmed by her. I don't know what it was about that damn bitch that made every man prefer her to me, even my own husband…"

"Don't talk about my mother like that!" I snapped. "If you continue to slander her name, then I won't listen to any more of this nonsense." I made to rise.

"I admit that my jealousy of her has made me biased," Meta steadily replied, "but your mother was just as human as everybody else, and that means that she had her faults as well as her virtues. You can't keep pretending that she was as virtuous as Aset."

As much as I hated to admit it, she had made a good point. I adored my mother and had idolized her, just as Father had. "Continue."

"So, his eye turned to her, and he ceased to acknowledge me. Your mother stole his affections away from me, just as she had stolen Nebatet. It didn't take long for their courtship to turn into marriage. And then, within their first year of marriage, you were born.

"My marriage prospects were fading fast. My parents thought that if I failed to gain a husband, then they would send me to be a priestess to Hathor. I didn't want that; I loved the court life. And so, after much flirting, I managed to catch the eye of one of the noblemen. But he didn't love me; he was only driven by lust, as most men are, and I used this to my advantage to woo him. Alas, it worked too well, for I found myself pregnant, and we quickly married.

"I lost the child. He was devastated, and I was convinced that someone had poisoned me. I'm almost certain it was your mother, who did it just to spite me. My husband had requested to be a vizier to your father, but he was rejected in favor of another man that your mother favored. It was her fault entirely, but my husband blamed me for his failure as well as for the loss of our child. Imagine that! My husband blamed me for the entire affair, and his affections to me soon cooled, and his eye turned elsewhere.

"One night, I was walking down a corridor, and then I heard a scream coming from the queen's chambers. I ran there, and I saw my husband pinning Hathoraset against a wall, with his kilt removed. He was about to tear her dress off her, and right as I called his name, your father came barging in, and his rage was a terrible sight to behold. He immediately called the guards, and they seized him and threw him in prison. The day after, he was charged with treason for attempting to rape the Queen and immediately beheaded.

"So you see, your mother stole from me a friend, the throne, and then my husband. She used her magic to seduce him and then frame him just to spite me! And that is the side of the story that you never knew- the one detailing the faults of your mother and how she made my life miserable."

"But Meta, why would my mother waste her magic on seducing a man just to spite you? That makes no sense whatsoever! She already had the love of my father, why would she need anybody else? If there was anybody at fault for what happened, then surely it was your husband! He was already stupid enough to marry you in the first place, and then seeing that you were incapable of love, he was forced to seek affection elsewhere. Or perhaps he had eyed my mother all along, and since he couldn't have her, he tried settling for you instead."

Her eyes flashed with hatred as she snapped, "It was her! My Thutmose could have never done that!"

"Just as I have idolized my mother, so you have also idolized your husband. Maybe he was nothing but a lecherous leech."

"I have discovered by now that all men are nothing but lusty worms. Your Mahado is no different. You think that he really loves you, but like all men, he is driven by nothing but that shaft between his legs. Just watch, your marriage will fall apart, just as mine did, when you become decrepit with age and have already borne him plenty of children, as is your duty as a woman."

"That is wrong! I love Jani as Osiris loved Aset, and I will always love her even when we are fifty!" Mahado snapped, indicating that he heard every word.

Meta smiled her usual malevolent smile. "So you claim, Mahado. But soon enough, your beloved will see the truth."

"Stay out of this, Mad," I said to him. I turned back to Meta. "So, why have you decided to tell me your story after all this time?"

The hardness in her eyes softened. "So that I might have a fighting chance at making you understand how hard life has been for me, and so that I might have a chance at receiving your forgiveness for all I've done. Before I go to face Ma'at, I know I must make my peace with you."

I rose and turned my back on her. "After all that you've done, you dare to ask me for forgiveness?"

"I know that I have been cruel to you…"

"Cruel!" I cried, quickly losing my self-control. "Where do I even begin? You fought to deprive me of my magic lessons, you tried to poison Atem, you had me isolated to my rooms for an entire month, you did your best to cut me off from my friends, you tried to sentence me to a loveless marriage with Seto, you threatened to kill me if I refused, you tried to kill Mahado and my dear friends, you poisoned Isis, and then you poisoned me, and you have the gall to ask for my forgiveness after all of _that_? It's by Aset's intervention that your spell did not succeed and backfired on you instead!"

"It is the price that I pay for casting that curse, and for concocting the poison; I see that now. And it is as a part of my punishment that I must humble myself thusly by asking for your forgiveness, Princess. I most humbly hope that you will take pity on a dying woman like me and forgive me. I cannot go before Osiris and Ma'at unless you do."

I began to walk away, saying, "You are fully aware of all that you have done, Meta. So tell me: exactly why should I forgive you?"

* * *

**So, at last, the end has come for Meta. Will she forgive her? Stay tuned to find out! And, as always, please leave a review :) Next chapter will be out on Sunday at the latest! **


	30. Forgiveness

**Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own Yugioh. **

**Well, the title of the chapter sort of gave it away, but I hope you enjoy nonetheless! :)**

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* * *

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"By Ra, going to her was a stupid idea. I don't care if Father insisted, I should have refused him."

"But Sister," Atem argued. "Meta is dying, and as is tradition, she gets one wish, as all traitors do. It was good of you to go and hear her side of the story; even after all that she's done, she deserves to tell things from her point of view."

"How noble of you, Brother," I said sarcastically. "You will surely make a most noble Pharaoh someday. Just wait until our enemies threaten our borders or some scoundrel commits an awful crime and see if you would be so merciful then."

"I would," he said, ignoring my sarcasm. "Father told me that a just ruler must also show mercy, even when upholding the ways of _ma'at_."

I sighed, keeping my gaze on the lotus blossoms in the pond. Atem was still very young, and naïve in some ways. He had never shown anger towards anyone, although I thought him incapable of harboring such hatred as the hatred I bore towards Meta.

"You know, I kind of feel sorry for the wench," Atem said softly.

I turned to him, feeling angry despite myself. "You _what_? After all that she's done to you and what she's done to me? How in the House of Geb could you possibly feel sorry for her, Atem?"

He shrugged, flinching a little at my anger. "I pity her because she's dying right now, in the prime of her life, without a husband who loves her, or children; she's dying all alone. I wonder if anybody ever loved her. From what you told me, even her own parents thought of her as nothing but property. A person who lives without love lives only half a life."

"So you think I should forgive her?"

Atem nodded and took my hand. "Please, hear me out, Jani. Yes, I think you should forgive her, to show that you are a better woman than she ever was. Show that you are the stronger woman by rising above the hate. Besides, the poor woman has already suffered enough. Just think of it as one last favor you are granting her by giving her some small measure of peace before she goes to Ma'at to be judged. After all, she will have a difficult time of it anyway."

I rose to my feet, not wanting to hear any more. "I wish that I could be as good-hearted as you, Atem, but I can't. Meta has done too much to me for me to easily forgive her just like that. In fact, I don't see why she deserves a shred of any forgiveness from me at all! And she certainly doesn't deserve your pity. After all, she tried to poison you! Have you forgotten that?"

"No, I have not. But I have chosen to forgive her. After all, she failed, and what would be the point of harboring anger over something that did not happen? That was years ago, and I have moved on since then. There is no point in holding a grudge for that long and letting it poison the rest of my life. That is in the past. And soon enough she will be dead and be a part of your past, Jasana. Let go of the anger, just let it go and be free."

"Never," I replied coldly, storming away.

* * *

"The Prince told me about what he said to you earlier," Mahado casually stated as we walked along the Nile. It was my favorite part of the day: Ra was just getting ready to descend into the west, and above our heads a pair of ibises flew, their cries bidding farewell to the last of his golden rays.

"Well, what of it?" I asked wearily, not wanting to wreck the serenity of the moment with such an unpleasant topic. The argument with my brother had taken its toll on me, and I was sore towards him. I should have known better than to expect him to see things from my point of view. After all, he had just turned nine years old. But I had hoped that Mahado would be more sympathetic.

"I don't think you should be so sore towards him for being honest with you," he chided gently. "After all, he has a good point."

"Not you too! Already Isis and Karim have taken his side. I was hoping that you would be more sympathetic to mine!"

"I can see why you hate her so much; I loathe her too. But I was also there when she told her side of the story. I have to say, you can't blame her for loathing Queen Hathoraset so for ignoring her. My mother also played a part in the story." I opened my mouth, preparing to fire an angry retort, but before I could say a thing, he continued, "Just consider this, Jani: she has already implanted so much anger and hate in you. Soon she will be dead and will cease to exist. Your father has already decreed that she will be denied a proper burial; her body will be left to the jackals and vultures. The best that she can hope for is Osiris and Aset's mercy. She will no longer be here to torment you, but her memory will forever haunt you unless you let this hatred go. It has already poisoned your life for long enough; I would hate to see your anger and hate get the better of you for the remainder of your life."

I sighed. "It's not that simple, Mad. How do I forgive her for years of her working to isolate me, deprive me of my magic, and attempting to kill all the ones I love? In my opinion, she doesn't deserve my forgiveness. She already is receiving a merciful death by illness, and not by execution! Surely that is not just."

He tenderly tightened his grasp on my hand. "Merciful or not, her death is already coming. But in your heart, she will still be very much alive through your anger. Every time you invoke her memory, it will do nothing but inflame that anger. I've always hated seeing how your anger takes control of you when it comes to her, and I would hate if it continued to plague you. Your anger would strain all of your relationships, especially the one between us."

"It already is putting a strain on our relationship," I said angrily. "How can you possibly take pity on her? Just look at everything that she's done!"

"I have not forgotten," he said gently. "But that doesn't mean that it has to ruin my entire life. I have decided that despite all that she has done, I will no longer be haunted by her evil intentions. Thus I have set myself free. I'm not asking you to simply forget everything that she did to you, my love. I know that would be too much to ask. I am simply recommending that you decide to move on and put all the hurt behind you. Choose to no longer be enslaved by this anger and dark energy and set yourself free. It is only if you choose to do so that she will truly be dead to you. It is only then that your life will be free of her influence."

I fixed him with a stony stare, and then turned away. "Why can't anybody understand? I can't forgive her, I just can't. And even if I did want to forgive her, I don't know how I possibly could!" I stormed away from him in anguish, seeking the shelter of the stable and my trustworthy horse.

* * *

"So, do you have any idea of how to forgive someone, especially if that someone has made your life miserable for the past seven years?" Nephthys momentarily lifted her head out of the pile of hay at her feet, and looked at me silently before resuming her munching.

"No, I don't suppose you do," I said ruefully. "Ah, how simpler things would be if I were a horse. I wouldn't bear anger or hate towards anybody, and if there was someone I didn't like, I could simply kick them or buck them off if they were to ride me."

"Your life would also be more unpleasant; you would have to obey the commands of your rider, and I don't think hay tastes very good," another voice added. Startled, I turned around to see Seto leading his horse into a stall, for once doing such a menial task on his own. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to intrude on your quality time with your horse."

"You weren't intruding at all," I said, managing a small smile. I noticed that he was riding the same chestnut horse that he had been riding the other day when he was with Karim and me. "So, I see that you have been bonding with one particular horse at last."

He patted his horse on the nose. "Yes, Netanaset and I seem to get along very well. I think I am beginning to see what you mean when you say that horses can make for very good companions."

"It is good to see that you are finally making friends," I said weakly before becoming lost in my thoughts once more.

"Since I am now your… friend," he said, the word seeming foreign in his mouth, "may I ask what troubles you, Princess?"

"It's 'Jasana', remember? And the truth is that the Lady Meta has asked for my forgiveness, but I seem unable to forgive her, despite what my brother and the rest of my friends suggest. I find the task impossible to do, and I don't think that she deserves it."

"Strange isn't it how death humbles even the haughtiest of people? I'm sure that the Lady Meta wouldn't be asking for your forgiveness if she weren't dying."

"Yes, that's exactly it!" I replied, relieved that there was at least one person who could sympathize with me. "If she weren't dying, she would still be plotting against me, trying to make my life miserable!"

"I don't think she deserves your forgiveness either."

"Thank you! Finally, someone who understands!"

"But despite that, I also must side with your friends and advise against holding a grudge against her. Such sentiments are foolish and can only do harm."

"I can't seem to help it; holding a grudge seems to come as naturally as hating her."

"But soon enough she will be dead. It would be foolish to hang on to your hate for someone if they no longer walk this world."

"So how do I let it go? It's not like I can snap my fingers and suddenly the grudge will be gone."

Seto scratched his chin. "It's different for each person. It is a very personal decision, in which they decide that they will no longer let the shadow of their grudge linger, and so they make their peace and move on."

"I'm afraid it will be very difficult for me to make my peace with Meta," I said sadly.

"Best of luck in that endeavor, given all that she has done," Seto replied. "In the meantime, I believe it is time for the evening banquet. Shall I see you safely to Mahado's side?"

I smiled, doing my best to forget about Meta, at least for the evening meal. "That is most kind of you, Seto. I would appreciate that." Arm in arm, we left the stable behind.

* * *

I was in no mood for company that night; but I attended the banquet to keep up appearances. Even so, I only picked at my food and didn't eat much; I was too preoccupied with what Atem and Mahado had said to me. My replies to their attempts at conversation were stiff and curt, and they quickly got the hint that I was not inclined for pleasant conversation.

Pleading a headache, I took my leave early and retired to my chambers. Aramen came in with a cup of tea. "This is brewed from jasmine flowers and is said to relieve headaches," she explained.

I smiled, took the cup from her, and took a sip. The warm tea was very soothing. "Thank you, Aramen. This is just what I needed."

She returned my smile. "I also brought a bowl of duck soup in case you get hungry, since I heard that you didn't have much of an appetite at the banquet. Your future husband bid me to bring it to you."

"That is most kind of you, and of him." I now felt sorry for the way I treated him and Atem; after all, they were only telling me their opinions and doing what they thought was best for me.

Seeing the sadness on my face, Aramen asked, "Is everything all right between you and Mahado? I noticed that you were rather cold towards him earlier this evening."

"It's nothing; he only said something to me that I didn't agree with, and I hadn't quite forgiven him just then. But this kind gesture changes everything. Don't worry; things between us have never been better."

Her eyes glittered with excitement as she asked, "So when will the big day be?"

"I'm not sure yet, although sometime in the latter half of the second month of next year is what we're aiming for. In the meantime, there will be many preparations that will need to be made."

"How exciting! And I'm very happy for you, Princess. Finally your wedding will come to pass. Would that I could find a man who loves me as much as Mahado loves you," she sighed wistfully.

"I'm sure that you will," I replied reassuringly. "At thirteen, you are still young, though you have entered an age where you are ready to marry. Surely there will be a man who will be charmed by your kindness, I'm sure of it."

"And with Meta soon to be dead, we will all be free! That wench has kept us confined for too long! When she is finally dead, Princess, may I request to be trained as a healer and a sorceress? There is nothing I would like more than to train with you and become just like you!"

"Of course you may, Aramen," I said, flattered. "I'm sure that you will make for an excellent healer, you certainly have the bearing of one."

She clapped her hands and jumped up and down. "Yay! I can't wait to be free of that old crone! Trust me; on the day she dies I will be dancing for joy. My sisters may cry, for they adored her and they were her darlings, but I won't shed a single tear. She always thought that I was too headstrong for a girl, and especially for one at my young age."

I smiled. "That makes two of us, and you were always my favorite of the Sisters, Aramen. I always thought that you were the one with the most common sense, and I will be glad to take on your training."

"I cannot wait! In the meantime, I will leave you to your rest, and I hope that you will feel better when tomorrow comes." She swept from the room.

I drank the tea and contented myself with reading some of my mother's scrolls. She had composed poetry, and among the scrolls that Nebatet left to me were scrolls of her favorite poems. For once, I was happy to have some time to myself in the privacy of my own chambers. When my yawns became impossible to ignore, I extinguished the candles and settled into my soft pillow, getting ready to sleep.

Yet as exhausted as I was, sleep eluded me. Meta's words kept repeating themselves in my head, as well as the advice of Atem, Mahado, Karim, and Isis. _This is ridiculous, just shut up and let me sleep!_ I mentally screamed to the racing thoughts in my head.

After what seemed like hours, I sighed, threw off the covers, and sought refuge on the balcony. Only three quarters of Khonsu's face was showing, casting everything in dimmed silver light. Even though it hadn't been a day yet since my conversation with Meta, her words had thrown me into such torment, and I knew that torment would continue if I did not forgive her. Already her dark influence was marring my relationship with Mahado and with Atem. Even as she lay dying, her grasp on my life had not weakened. I ran a hand through my hair, and finally came to a decision. There was only one thing left to do.

I quietly donned a cloak and crept out of my room, careful not to wake the Sisters sleeping nearby. I cast a spell to conceal myself and the sound of my footsteps as I made my way to Meta's room. Before I entered her chamber, I revealed myself to the guards, who wordlessly let me pass. Upon hearing my footsteps, she awakened. "Who's there?" she asked warily.

I let the hood of my cloak slip from my face. "It's me, Princess Jasana."

She sighed, "Even the one thing I managed to do, that being having your name changed, was a failure."

"Indeed it was," I said unsympathetically. "Your entire life has been a failure, Meta. You have nothing: no friends, no husband, and no family. You're nothing but a bitter bitch whose soul will definitely be consumed by Ammit. You haven't had a scrap of happiness in your life, and you deserve it. But even in death, you will not poison my life anymore. From now on, I relieve myself of any and all anger I have harbored towards you. Your dark influence will no longer overshadow my life from this moment on. And if that constitutes forgiveness, then so be it."

Meta succumbed to a fit of coughing before she whispered, "I suppose that will have to suffice; that is the best I can ask for. And I have one more favor to ask: pray to Aset to forgive me."

Having said what I came to say, I turned away. "Yes, I will pray for you, for that is my duty," I said shortly. "But the matter of forgiveness can only be left to Aset herself. Good-bye and good riddance."

* * *

The next afternoon, Meta died. Father locked himself in his rooms and wouldn't admit anyone, thus cancelling the banquet for that evening. I had just received this news when a pottery shard materialized itself in my room. I smiled as I recognized the slanted handwriting which said, _"Jani, meet me in my chamber after Ra has descended into the west." _

_Now, what can he have in mind? _I wondered._ Surely he doesn't mean to take me in his room! But if that's what he wants, I won't deny him, _I thought naughtily. I immediately called for Aramen to lay out my best dress. I would look as lovely as Aset that night, for whatever lay ahead.

I arrived in his room just as the last of Ra's golden rays lit the sky. He was waiting for me, wearing his best kilt. I felt the warmth in my cheeks rise as I noticed that he had foregone his tunic, for the night was exceptionally warm. He took me in his arms and kissed me. "I am so fortunate to have such a beautiful bride-to-be," he complimented.

I smiled and ran my hands along the contours of his chest. "So what do you have in mind for this evening?" I asked, a mischievous smile spreading across my face.

"Oh, nothing that you have in mind," he teased, reading the look on my face. "As I have promised you, I'll save _that_ for the wedding night. But tonight will be just as pleasant. First, dinner." He took me by the hand and led me to a table set for two. Fragrant candles were lit, and the table was laden with all of our favorite dishes.

He pulled my seat out for me, and then seated himself. He poured wine into two golden goblets, and handed one to me. Holding his before me in a toast, he said, "To our future life together, and may it be long and filled with much joy."

"Cheers," I replied, touching my goblet to his before taking a sip. "This is so lovely, Mad! We've never had a chance to dine alone together, just the two of us."

"Because we've always had to attend the royal banquet, but not tonight," he replied. "Tonight, it will be just the two of us." The candlelight reflected off his eyes, giving them a warm glow. "Let's dig in."

I took a spoonful of mutton stew before commenting, "So, that bitch is finally dead, thank the gods."

"Yes, she is," he said triumphantly. "She is dead and gone, and no longer will she be there to guard your virtue like a sentinel jackal. Nothing and nobody stands in our way now."

"Except for the date of our wedding," I teased. "Exactly how you can manage to wait is beyond me. I'm already practically dying of excitement! I could have you right here, right now!"

He smirked. "Ah, but it is as you said, you are the Princess of Egypt, and therefore you will have to wait, as will I. Besides, just as you enjoy having me wait, I like having to make you wait with all this anticipation; it will make our wedding night even more enjoyable when my bride is entirely consumed by lust."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I wonder which of us will receive the better end of the pleasure."

"Do I take that as a challenge?" he asked seductively. "If that is a challenge to see which of us is better at pleasuring the other, then I gladly accept! And mark my words; I'm determined to win this contest."

"Oh, you'll have to work hard if you want to win, for I intend to put up a very good fight," I replied, licking my lips.

After a few moments of us savoring the food, he changed the subject. "The Pharaoh seems to be very saddened by Meta's death; he hasn't confined himself to his rooms since the death of your mother."

"Indeed, he does seem to be very distraught over this, more than would seem proper," I said thoughtfully. "I haven't the slightest idea why he would wish so much for me to grant Meta her dying wish." Then, suddenly, the realization came to me. "Do you suppose that he had come to love Meta?"

"Well, it wouldn't come as a surprise to me. There has to be a reason that he's let her be his confidante for all these years, and why he let her have such power over you. Plus, he's been alone for all these years without taking another wife; you can't blame him for being lonely at times. Although why he would choose Meta is something that I can't fathom."

I shuddered at the thought of my father being with Meta as he had been with my mother. "So you think that he took her as a mistress?"

He shrugged. "It wouldn't be surprising to me at all, given how much power she had. But a mistress only has so much power; at least he refused to make her his queen. She hadn't that strong of a hold over your father's heart, and thus hadn't totally usurped your mother's place."

"Even so, I hate the thought of that snake taking my mother's place in his bed," I said darkly.

Gulping down the last of his wine, he said lightly, "Now, this is too pleasant a night to be talking of such things. If you are finished with your meal, I have yet another surprise for you."

"What is it?"

"You'll have to see for yourself." He took my hand and led me to the stables. The guards seemed a little surprised to see us, but didn't object to our presence. He led Bata out of his stall.

"So we are going on a ride? Where are you taking me?"

"That is a surprise," he replied mysteriously.

"Are you sure you are able to ride with your arm in its condition?"

"I will hold on to you, and besides, I'm balanced enough to remain in the saddle without holding onto the reins. Also, only several days more before my arm is fully healed."

I helped him saddle Bata, and then I mounted Bata first. He seated himself behind me, and then handed me a blindfold. "Here, you will need to put this on."

I took the blindfold suspiciously. "But why?"

"As I said, I want where we're going to be a surprise. But you'll like it, rest assured."

Bata walked out of the stable yard, and then Mahado commanded him, "Bata, you know where to go, old boy." The horse whinnied in reply before taking off on a gallop. I held on to the reins and clutched at his mane for support. After a while, Bata slowed to a trot, and then a walk. Finally, he came to a complete stop.

Mahado dismounted, and then he helped me down. He turned me around. "Ready?"

I nodded, and he let the blindfold slip from my eyes. I gasped; in front of me stood a pool of silver moonlight, and the surrounding palm trees seemed to emanate their own silvery glow.

"Why, this is our oasis!" I murmured in surprise. "We haven't been here in forever!" In Khonsu's light, it seemed to take on a magical, ethereal essence. "It's beautiful here."

"I came across this sight a while ago, when I was still grieving for my mother," Mahado explained. "I found peace and comfort here, and I vowed that one day, I would bring you here so that you could see this majestic place for yourself, at this time of the night."

"Yes, this has always been our special place," I said, turning around to face him. He wrapped his arm around my waist, and I placed my hands on his chest. "I've decided to forgive Meta, and I went to her last night to tell her so, since I couldn't sleep. She already has lived a life without happiness, and I knew that you were right; I would have no peace until I made my peace with her, and so I did."

He smiled down at me, and in the moonlight, no man ever looked handsomer. He kissed me deeply and lovingly. "Good, that is good," he whispered into my hair. "You are finally free, and you can begin to live your life as you wish to. It will be a new beginning, and it will begin with our wedding vows."

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed this one! The next one is the big chapter, where they will finally get married! :D About time, huh? As always, please leave a review! Next chapter will be out by Wednesday! :)**


	31. The Wedding

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh**

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* * *

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_The room is lit only by candles, and I am lying on a bed amidst flower petals, completely naked. I feel my heart pounding with anticipation. A shadow lurks on the wall, and I know that it is the one I've been waiting for. He comes in slowly, his eyes taking in the sight of me lying on the bed. Finally, he pulls me into his arms, and his mouth is everywhere on me. "Jani… Jani…" he moans over and over again as my hands begin their exploration of his body. He lays me down and climbs on top of me, planting light, feathery kisses on my neck. I feel as if I could die of ecstasy…_

I woke up, feeling my burning cheeks and the throb of desire between my legs. Realizing that it was once again a dream, I sighed, sinking back into the linen covers. _Hathor help me… when will these dreams end?_ For what seemed like an eternity now, these erotic dreams had been plaguing me. Every night I would dream of Mahado taking me in a fevered passion, only to wake up finding myself alone and painfully aroused.

I turned over, and saw a lotus paired with a mandrake, accompanied by a sheet of papyrus, covered in the slanted handwriting I would recognize anywhere.

_Today I marry my lady-_

_My love, my beautiful one,_

_Who Hathor smiles upon,_

_Gracing her with her gifts._

_At last, the day has come, _

_Would that the night would come sooner!_

_For I long to make these dreams come true,_

_And drink of the sweet nectar from this flower…_

_Oh Ra! That's right! It's today! Today's the wedding, and tonight…_ I read over Mahado's poem again, feeling a wicked smile spread across my face. _Yes, at last I will make my dreams come true._

I heard singing in the hallway, and several ladies came bursting through the door, shaking sistrums. I shrieked with surprise, and, seeing that it was Isis and the Sisters, I laughed and relaxed.

"Wake up, sleepy one, or else you'll miss your own wedding!" Isis teased, pulling me out of bed. As she ushered me into the hallway, I noticed at least five other older noblewomen who stood ready to accompany me to the baths. As we walked, they all murmured stories of Mother's wedding day, and how they had helped prepare her as well.

I luxuriated in the warm, soapy water as a maidservant massaged lotus oil into my hair, chattering away about the pleasures of the wedding night. I listened with rapt attention as she and the other ladies described what would happen, and suggested ways in which I could pleasure my soon-to-be-husband. With their expert advice, I was sure to win the pleasure contest that would ensue.

The maids helped me out of the pool and patted me dry with towels. Isis and the other noblewomen proceeded to henna my hands and feet with elaborate patterns that danced before my eyes. They dressed me in white silk, which felt like water against my skin; it would definitely be comfortable in the heat of the afternoon. One of the maids held out an elaborate golden headdress before me, designed with the emblem of Nekhbet, the fiery vulture goddess.

I hesitated. "Must I really wear that?" It looked very heavy, and very uncomfortable.

"It is only for the ceremony, Princess. You may trade it for a lighter circlet to wear to the banquet. Your mother wore it, and it is the tradition for royal princesses to wear this at their weddings."

I sighed; as a princess, there were certain unpleasant traditions I had to uphold. I nodded, and she delicately placed the headdress on me. The golden wings swept down over my hair, pulling it behind my ears. My arms were bedecked with many golden bangles embedded with precious gems, and a beaded girdle was placed about my waist. I requested for my mother's turquoise necklace to be brought, and it was presently clasped around my neck.

Finally, Isis proceeded to apply my cosmetics with a deft hand. She lined my eyes with kohl, and swept just a hint of blue lapis mixed with green malachite on my eyelids to complement my eyes. After a dab of ochre on each of my cheeks and light rouge on my lips, she held the bronze mirror before me so that I could inspect the results. I gasped as I beheld the woman staring back at me; if it weren't for my eyes, I would have thought I was looking at someone completely different. I truly looked like Aset herself.

"Satisfied?" Isis asked.

"More than satisfied, I can hardly recognize myself!" I exclaimed.

"Surely you've realized how much of a beauty you've become? It's no wonder why Mahado can't keep his eyes off you!" Isis laughed in reply. "Now come; let's not keep him waiting any longer!"

The women escorted me out of the palace, and as I stepped outside, two slaves carrying ostrich fans to shield me from the sun stood at the ready. They waited as I boarded the royal barge, and then boarded as well. More slaves came with ostrich fans, and as the rowers pulled away from the dock, they began to wave the fans to waft the cool breeze on board.

The ladies all chatted eagerly and nibbled at honeyed dates. I slowly chewed one, trying to calm my nervous excitement. Along the banks of the Nile, the entire city seemed to be celebrating, calling out my name and throwing blossoms before the barge as it made its slow, sedate way to the great temple complex of the city.

Father and Atem stood waiting for me at the dock. Father smiled at me and held out his hand to help me off the barge, and I took it, grateful for his and Atem's comforting presence. Despite my eagerness, I found the crowd of spectators to be overwhelming. Father chuckled. "Get used to the crowd, Jasana; soon enough you will have to face them on a more regular basis." As he led me inside the temple of Aset, he continued, "You look as lovely as your mother did," and his eyes misted over for a moment.

Mahado was already inside, waiting for me. Upon hearing me enter, he turned around, and when he saw me he smiled and held his hand out to me. Father embraced me and kissed me on the cheek before relinquishing me to my groom, and Atem embraced me before I grasped Mahado's hand. We knelt on the cold stone floor before the High Priest of Ra and the High Priestess of Aset, who said, "Let the ceremony begin."

They anointed us with oil, chanting many invocations to the various gods and goddesses, calling on their blessings for a long and fruitful marriage. Before long, my head began to swim under the weight of the headdress, and I leaned against Mahado's shoulder for support. He smiled reassuringly and grasped my hand, as if to say, "Just be patient, the ceremony is almost over."

Finally, the invocations were done, and the two of us clasped hands and said in unison, "I take thee onto myself; my heart is yours, and my life is now bound to yours." Then, Mahado took me into his arms and gave me a long kiss, signaling the beginning of our life together as husband and wife, and outside the temple the cheers were deafening. He said privately into my ear. "At last, wife, you are now mine and I am yours, for all eternity."

* * *

The entire court, as well as foreign emissaries, came to the feast to bid us congratulations. Mahado and I sat at the table of honor as the line of guests processed past us, and we inclined our heads in gratitude at each person. Servants kept adding gift after gift to the small pile on the side, which already resembled a small hill. I had to keep the irritating headdress on the entire time, and finally, when the last guest paid his respects, I quickly excused myself and discreetly met with Aramen, who removed my headdress and replaced it with a lighter, simpler golden circlet. I sighed with relief.

"Enjoy the feast, Princess," she said.

"I shall enjoy what follows the feast much more," I replied, smirking as I turned to rejoin my husband and my family at the table of honor.

Toast after toast was made, and it wasn't long before I felt myself getting light-headed from the wine. Already several of the men were drunk and singing loudly along with the musicians. Despite having only eaten one light meal earlier in the day, I found that I didn't have much of an appetite and only tasted a dish here and there.

Mahado, noticing this, leaned over and murmured, "You'll want to eat heartily, my love, for you'll need plenty of energy for tonight!"

I smiled discreetly so as to make our exchange seem perfectly modest, but I could feel myself quivering with anticipation. I wish that we could forego the rest of the feast and all the formalities; I only wanted what was my right as Mahado's wife.

Father stood up, and signaled for the dancing to begin. Mahado took me by the hand and led me down the steps of the dais and onto the floor. Gently he encircled his arms about my waist, and I wrapped my arms around his neck as the harpists began a love tune. Slowly, sensually, we danced to the lilting music, and everyone else seemed to fade away. I leaned my head against his chest and drank in the moment, completely content to be right where I was.

Other couples joined us, and I smiled as I saw Karim leading a blushing Isis onto the dance floor. "Well, it may seem that there will soon be another wedding to follow ours," Mahado whispered into my ear, indicating towards them.

"That would be so wonderful," I sighed. "They are perfect for each other, don't you think?"

"Indeed, and it's about time that Karim made a move. They've been dancing about each other for ages now."

Soon the music picked up, and the dancing became livelier. Karim tapped me on the shoulder. "May I claim the lovely bride for the next dance?"

I laughed and took his hand. "Of course, Karim." As he carefully twirled and twisted me to the beat of the music, I said to him, "It's about time that you asked Isis to dance! The two of you looked absolutely radiant together."

He grinned, his cheeks coloring slightly. "She tried to refuse me, but I wouldn't hear of it. A lovely lady such as herself shouldn't be sitting on the side and missing the dancing. But it was just an innocent dance between friends."

I mockingly raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Well it should soon become more than that, if you ask me! And ha, you finally admit to it!"

Karim then seemed to realize his mistake. "By Ra, you're as cunning as a lioness, getting it out of me like that!"

I giggled. "Come, Karim, it wasn't that hard to figure out, it's been written on your face for forever. What isn't so clear is whether or not she returns your feelings."

His face became momentarily clouded as he agreed, "Yes, that's the big question now, isn't it?" But he quickly regained his jolly composure. "Well, I shouldn't be hogging your attention, or I'm sure that your husband will suspect me of having designs on you! Besides, here comes your brother." Sure enough, Atem came up and requested my hand for the next dance.

"Well, Sister? What say you of my dancing?" he asked anxiously.

I smiled and ruffled his hair, as only I was allowed to do. "Very well, Brother. You've been learning well, and in time you'll have every lady in the court begging for a dance with you." I could see that in several years, when his voice deepened and he grew taller, he would be quite the heartthrob. I looked over to where Father sat, smiling and clapping his hands to the music. He looked nostalgic, and I wondered if he was recalling his own wedding, when he had danced with Mother on this very floor.

Soon, he swept down onto the floor to claim me for a dance. As we turned, he said, "Your mother would be so very proud of you, Jasana, if she lived to see this day. But I know that she is looking down on us from the House of Nut and smiling as we speak. I've never been prouder to call you my daughter."

Unexpected tears sprang to my eyes at these kind words from my father, and I blinked them back. "You look quite dashing tonight, Father, if I do say so myself! I can just imagine what it must've been like for you at your and Mother's wedding."

He smiled at my compliment. "Well, my hair was browner than gray back then, but at least I know that I'm still quite agile for my age!" The music soon paused, and we clapped our hands. I sat down for a rest to catch my breath. Mahado, who had been dancing with Isis, sat down beside me and offered me a cup of wine. I saw Karim glide by with Aramen, and I was rather surprised to see the look of pure adoration on Aramen's face.

_Oh Aset… help us all._ I silently thought to myself. _It looks like Isis has competition, but why does it have to be Aramen?_ I had grown fond of the girl, and I didn't want to see her get her heart broken by Karim.

Mahado's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. "When do you think would be an appropriate time to retire to the wedding chamber?" he asked mischievously. "For if you can't tell, I'm quite eager to have you!"

I grinned wickedly. "By the looks of it, probably not for a while, at least, not until the dancing is finished and the final toasts are made. We are the center of attention tonight, and unfortunately we can't just slip away by ourselves, everyone would immediately notice!"

He growled with impatience, chugged his wine, and then stood up, holding his hand out to me. "Well then, if more dancing we must do, then we shall! And you're not dancing with anybody else but me for the rest of the night!"

I laughed. "I hope that you won't be too exhausted from all this dancing to perform your duty tonight!"

"Oh, trust me, I still have quite a bit of energy left in me; it's your energy that I worry about," he replied jokingly. "I can dance all the way till Ra rises in the east, and still have enough energy to take you until he sets in the west again!"

I fluttered my eyelids coquettishly. "Well, soon enough I shall put that to the test, to see if you were exaggerating or not." We then rejoined the other dancers on the floor.

* * *

Finally, it was time to retire to the wedding chamber. I left first, with all the noblewomen. They bathed me once again, and rubbed jasmine oil onto my skin, chattering gaily as they helped me out of my wedding dress and pulled on a very sexy dress which in truth was nothing but a beaded net. They helped me to wipe all the cosmetics off my face, and brushed my hair so that it hung loosely about my shoulders. They chanted incantations to Hathor, invoking her role as the Lady of the Vulva (1) to enhance my fertility as they sprinkled the bed with flower petals.

Out in the hallway, I could hear the boisterous laughter of the men as they chanted prayers to Min (2) and cracked bawdy jokes. I blushed as I overheard some of them.

Isis, sensing my embarrassment, laughed and patted my shoulder. "Oh, don't mind them, Jasana. It's traditional for men to tease the groom about his virility by telling such jokes. I bet Mahado is as embarrassed by them as you are." Finally, the ladies took their leave, and she was the last to go, embracing me tightly. "May Hathor smile on both of you tonight," she said in blessing before she slipped out.

I arranged myself on the bed, leaning on one arm and pulling on the netted dress so that it draped enticingly over my thighs. I saw a shadow move on the wall, and it seemed that I was reliving my dream as Mahado appeared in the doorway, the candlelight reflecting off his golden pectoral. His eyes darkened with desire at the sight of me, and he quickened his steps towards the bed. "At last…" he growled as I pulled him towards me.

As I moved to kiss him, he quickly shed all of his finery and his clothing, and I gasped at the sight of him in all his naked glory. He leapt onto the bed and gathered me to him. Slowly, he slid the beaded net off me. He sighed before he began to envelop my body in kisses and caresses. "Finally," he murmured huskily, "our moment has come, and I shan't restrain myself at all this time. Are you ready, Jani? Because you shan't be sleeping at all tonight, my love!"

* * *

I awoke and looked out across the balcony to where the sky was just turning orange. I was rather surprised to find Mahado's strong arms around me, and then suddenly, the realization that last night wasn't a dream overcame me as I recalled each sensation: his fevered kisses, the smell of his sweat, the echoes of our moans against the walls, and the ecstasy as we both reached our pleasure and succumbed to sweet slumber. It was even better than my dreams. I snuggled closer to him, and consequently he lazily opened my eyes.

"Ha, I knew you were exaggerating when you said that you could dance till Ra rose in the east and take me until he descended into the west," I teased as I yawned.

He grinned and pulled me closer to him. "Why, I was just taking a momentary respite," he said. "Are you tired already, Jani? Because I'm not through with you yet!" He resumed his kisses and caresses, quickly sending me back to the brink of ecstatic pleasure.

"We're to set sail for our honeymoon villa in Alexandria in a few hours," I gently reminded him, struggling to catch my breath against the onslaught of his passion.

"Well then, the barge will simply have to wait till I'm done with you," he teased as I lost myself to the tide of sensations overwhelming my body.

* * *

Despite everything, we departed for Alexandria on time. Shada, Karim, Isis, Atem, and Father were at the dock to see us off. "I'm going to miss you these next two weeks (3), Sister," Atem said as he hugged me. "But I'm sure that you and Mahado will enjoy yourselves in Alexandria!"

"I'm sure you will," Karim said as he hugged me next. "It's a magnificent city. And the sea is so beautiful. I wouldn't be surprised if you would never want to leave!"

"The library is a must-see," Shada added. "Karim had to pull me out against my will. I would love to return someday to explore it even more; with the short amount of time we were there, we didn't even see a quarter of its wonders."

"I knew it," Mahado joked as he embraced Shada, Karim, and Isis in turn.

As Isis embraced me, she whispered. "I do hope that the two of you will make time to leave your bedchamber and see at least some of the city!"

I giggled. "Oh believe me; we intend to see as much of the city as time and our energy will allow us to."

We boarded the barge, and once Father ensured that all was in order, he nodded his head for the rowers to pull away. Mahado and I stood on the prow and waved until Atem and the others were too far out of our sight.

I stood out on the prow, enjoying the feel of the warm sun against my skin, and the gentle breath of Shu (4) stirring my hair.

Mahado joined me, putting his hands on my shoulders. "I wonder if you'll ever leave this spot and come to sit in the shade," he teased.

I smiled. "You know that this has always been my favorite part of the barge to stand at, Mad, although in time I will come and sit down; it will be quite a while before we stop at Dendera."

We stood on the prow for a while, admiring the glittering golden sand and the flocks of ibises and cranes that flew overhead. Occasionally we even saw a hippo among the reeds. As Ra climbed higher into the sky, we retreated into the shade of the canopy.

"That was quite the poem you left for me yesterday morning," I complimented him. "I never knew that you had a poetic streak."

"Well, although I don't have Karim's talent, I'm not completely incompetent, but I'll admit that he helped a great deal. You should have seen my first draft; it looked nothing like the final draft that I had sent to you."

I laughed and cuddled closer to him on the reclining couch. "Nevertheless, it was very sweet, and I appreciate you expending the effort." I planted a light, playful kiss on his cheek.

"Speaking of poetry, I've brought Karim's gift to us," he said, pulling out one of several scrolls.

"What is it?"

"Scrolls of Egypt's finest love poetry, from the Old Kingdom to the poems of Ramesses the Great to contemporary writers." With that, he unrolled the first scroll and began to read.

"_To hear your voice _

_is pomegranate wine to me: _

_I draw life from hearing it. _

_Could I see you with every glance, _

_It would be better for me _

_Than to eat or to drink. _

_If I could just be the washerman _

_doing her laundry for one month only, _

_I would be faithful to pick up the bundles, _

_Sturdy to beat clean the heavy linens, _

_But gentle to touch those finespun things _

_lying closest the body I love. _

_I would rinse with pure water the perfumes _

_that linger still in her tunics, _

_And I'd dry my own flesh with the towels _

_she yesterday held to her face. _

_The touch of her clothes, their textures, _

_her softness in them . . . Thank god for the body, _

_its youthful vigor! _

_And I'd say, standing there tall in the shallows: _

_Look at my fish, love, how it lies in my hand, _

_How my fingers caress it, slip down its sides . . . _

_But then I'd say softer, eyes bright with your seeing: _

_A gift, love. No words. Come closer and look, _

_it's all me-"_

"My, whoever wrote this has quite the way with words, and was in the throes of quite a passion! I wonder who his woman was."

"Nobody compared to you," Mahado answered, and continued reading.

"_I wish I were your mirror so that you always looked at me. _

_I wish I were your garment so that you would always wear me. _

_I wish I were the water that washes your body. _

_I wish I were the unguent, O woman, that I could anoint you. _

_And the band around your breasts, and the beads around your neck. _

_I wish I were your sandal that you would step on me! _

_O my beautiful one, I wish I were part of your affairs, like a wife. _

_With your hand in mine your love would be returned. _

_I implore my heart: "If my true love stays away tonight, _

_I shall be like someone already in the grave." _

_Are you not my health and my life? _

_How joyful is your good health for the heart that seeks you!"_

"That was beautiful," I commented. "What other ones are there?" I took the scroll from him, found one that was written from a woman's perspective, and read,

"_Is there anything sweeter than this hour? _

_for I am with you, and you lift up my heart - _

_for is there not embracing and fondling when you visit me _

_and we give ourselves up to delights? _

_If you wish to caress my thigh, _

_then I will offer you my breast also - it won't thrust you away! _

_Would you leave because you are hungry? _

_- are you such a man of your belly? _

_Would you leave because you need something to wear? _

_- I have a chestful of fine linen! _

_Would you leave because you wish something to drink? _

_Here, take my breasts! They are full to overflowing, and all for you! _

_Glorious is the day of our embracings; _

_I treasure it a hundred thousand millions! _

_Your love has gone all through my body like honey in water, _

_as a drug is mixed into spices, as water is mingled with wine. _

_Oh that you would speed to see your sister _

_like a charger on the battlefield, _

_like a bull to his pasture! _

_For the heavens are sending us love _

_like a flame spreading through straw and _

_desire like the swoop of the falcon!"_

I put down the scroll and covered my mouth, scandalized at the poetess's bold expressions. Mahado laughed at my facial expression. "Well! She certainly enjoyed her lover's company. I wonder, how would you describe last night if you were this woman?" He ran a hand seductively under my dress and up my leg.

"Mad," I lightly warned him. "There are servants about, and we're only in a bedroom with walls that are nothing but flimsy curtains."

"Oh, but they'll be expecting it," he replied as he nibbled my ear.

"At least wait until nightfall so that they can't see through the curtains. And surely they'll hear us!"

"Oh, don't be so embarrassed, my love; they were paid to accompany us on this trip, and they are very well aware that we are newlyweds. If they hear us, then so be it!" At that moment, one of the servants announced that we would soon arrive at Dendera. With a sigh Mahado rose from the couch, and held his hand out to help me up. "Well then, perhaps I will accommodate your wishes and wait until nightfall after all; the city awaits us!"

We spent four hours in the city as the rowers took a rest. Mahado and I visited the Temple of Hathor, which was even grander than the one in Thebes, for Dendera was the goddess's main cult center. The priestesses shook their sistrums as we burned a cone of incense and offered mandrakes, thanking the goddess for her benevolence and praying for her continued blessing on our marriage. I secretly prayed that before long, I would find my belly thickening with child; there was nothing I wanted more than to be graced with a child for Mahado and me to love and call our own.

We ate an early dinner in the city, and as Ra descended into the west we boarded the barge and the rowers pulled away from the dock. I stood on the prow and watched the sunset. Over the river, Ra's descent looked even more magnificent than usual, and the sky was a burst of blue, orange, gold, pink, and purple. Mahado lovingly came behind me and wrapped both of us in a blanket to shield us from the night chill, and, true to his word, he waited until it was completely dark and the House of Nut sparkled with silvery akhs before he swept me off my feet and carried me to our loft. If the servants heard us, they pretended not to notice.

* * *

The next day we stopped at Abydos and restocked for the rest of the journey to Alexandria. The fourth day after we had left Thebes, we arrived in Memphis, the city of Mahado's birth and the second-largest in the kingdom. I looked out over the hubbub of activity and wondered which house Nebatet and her husband had occupied. I wondered how she felt, arriving in a foreign city where she knew nobody and having to make a new life with her new husband.

Mahado came up beside me on the dock and wrapped his arms around me. Observing my pensive face, he asked, "What are you thinking about, Jani?"

I smiled at him. "I was just thinking about what it must've been like for your mother moving here after she was married, far away from her friends and everything she knew. It must've been daunting for her."

"Yes, she told me that it was hard at first, but being with my father made it bearable, and she grew accustomed to it soon enough." I smiled to myself as I imagined Mahado as a toddler running about the streets of the city, and Nebatet having to chase after him. He pulled me out of my thoughts as he grasped my hand. "But never mind that, the servants have transferred everything to the ocean-going barge, come on!" We had to transfer to a larger, sturdier vessel that would carry us out onto the delta and onto the vast sea for the rest of the way to Alexandria.

I gasped upon my first sighting of the sea: a huge body of water that seemed to stretch for an eternity until it seemed to meet Nut's fingertips. The motion of the boat was different as well, rocking to and fro with the waves, which lapped against the sides with white foam. Above my head, sea gulls flew and cried their greetings to each other. I closed my eyes and inhaled the fresh, salty sea air. I was falling in love with the sea already, and I easily saw what Karim meant when he said that it was likely I would want to stay beside this beautiful ocean forever.

Out in the distance, I spied a pair of strange ocean creatures. I called out to Mahado, "Mad, look there! What are they?"

"Dolphins, I've heard all about them; they're supposed to be bringers of good luck and a safe journey. It looks like they've come to accompany us to Alexandria!" I watched, transfixed, as they seemed to leap joyfully in between the waves. Soon, the city came into view, and I gasped as I saw a magnificent tower on a rocky outcrop.

One of the servants said, "If you think that is a spectacular sight, wait until you see the lighthouse at night. Your Highness won't ever forget the sight, I can promise you that. And your father has procured a night tour for the two of you." My heart leapt with excitement; I couldn't wait to see the villa, which Father had given to us as a gift. After spending five days aboard a barge, I was quite eager to be in a room with walls again.

As we docked, several passers-by gazed curiously at us, but then soon went about their business. I had requested that the servants dress discreetly, shedding their royal livery for that of regular servants. Anybody passing by could guess that we were perhaps wealthy nobles who had come for a vacation, but no more. I didn't want to attract too much attention, and so the barge was stripped of the royal standard, which would have surely thrown the city into excitement. Other ships were docking, and men were unloading all sorts of goods: fish freshly caught from the ocean, silks from Persia, Arabian stallions with their shining coats, and silver from faraway lands. People jabbered back and forth in various languages, among them I could pick out snippets of Akkadian, Hittite, and Greek. A servant approached us and bowed. "My Lord and Lady, if you are ready, the palaquin will take you to your villa."

Mahado helped me into the palaquin before entering himself. As the bearers carried us through the streets of the city, I parted the curtains and took in everything around me: the shouts of hawkers advertising their wares, the savory smells of delicacies cooking, and the constant whirl of activity filling the streets. I gasped as a great building complex came into view, and recognized it as the great Library, based on Karim and Shada's descriptions. I saw scholars of all races traversing the steps.

I heard Mahado's intake of breath beside me. "No wonder Shada said that he and Karim didn't even see a quarter of the library, it seems to spread in all directions! It would probably take someone a week to travel to each corner, and years to read all of its contents!"

We arrived at the villa, and I spun around in a circle to take in the view. The walls were lavishly decorated with all sorts of artworks, and the floor was covered in colorful mosaics. In a niche, statues of Aset and Osiris with their arms around each other smiled benevolently, and in the garden there was another statue of Aset with the infant Horus. I smiled; Father had said that I could change the decorations to my will, but he had clearly taken great pains to decorate it according to my taste.

As the servants unpacked our belongings, the maids drew up a refreshing bath for us. I sighed and felt myself relax as one of them massaged the soreness of the litter trip from my shoulders, and it felt wonderful to change into fresh clothes smelling of lavender and jasmine.

When our bath was finished, I checked out the balcony adjoining our bedchamber and marveled at the sight before me. We had a clear view of the ocean, and all the ships that came and went, as well as the lighthouse.

I felt two arms wrap around me, and I turned around and ran a hand across Mahado's cheek, which was now shaven smooth. "Lavender and jasmine," he murmured, inhaling the scent from my neck. "A most seductive and sexy combination…"

I pretended not to feel his desire rising with my own. "So, where would you like to explore first?"

"The bed," he answered as he picked me up.

I laughed. "You do know that I want to eventually get out and explore this wonderful city?"

"Oh don't worry; we have ten days to enjoy ourselves here. We will most certainly explore the city," he assured me, "eventually…"

* * *

As he promised, the next day we began our exploration. Alexandria is quite the city to behold. With its strategic location on the sea, many foreigners called it their home, and it was the first place where goods from other countries arrived before they were sent upriver to Thebes. We explored the markets, which were abundant with exotic goods that I had never seen before. _I need to get out of the palace and explore the markets more often,_ I thought to myself. Although back in Thebes, I would surely be recognized everywhere I went, and hawkers would be throwing their goods at my feet. I had the luxury of sending for whatever goods I desired, although Meta made sure that I never made any unnecessary excursions beyond the palace walls and did not spend my father's money excessively. Surely, now that she was gone, I would have more freedom to come and go as I please, and to spend as I please.

I bought a finely wrought sword for Atem, and scrolls to add to the library's collection, which Shada would surely appreciate. For Isis and Lady Aseneit, I bought several rare herbs and spices to add to their healing inventory, and for Karim, I bought a case full of the finest reed pens for him to use when composing his poetry.

"By Thoth! At this rate, the barge will be too heavy with all the goods you've bought to carry us back to Thebes!" Mahado teased. "That means that we'll have no choice but to stay here in this paradise."

I laughed. "Oh, I can't help myself; there are so many wonderful things here! And you underestimate the capabilities of the barges."

We explored the artisans' market next. Having always harbored a fascination for the arts, I watched as a potter formed a pot on his wheel. As I watched him, I wondered if Khnum would soon mold the form of our child in my belly (5). Mahado picked up a finished pot and inspected it, deciding that it was worthy of his money. "This will be something beautiful to grace our new home with," he said to me. Next, we visited a shop that sold beads of all sorts: carnelian, amethyst, turquoise, and glass. There was a woman forming beads at a kiln, and I felt a strange pulling towards her. I could have stayed there and watched her for the rest of the week if I had the opportunity to.

Sensing my fascination, she smiled and asked, "Would you like to try?"

"Oh, I couldn't possibly!" I replied, embarrassed.

"Nonsense," she said, picking up my hands. "These are the hands of an artist. I love showing girls such as you how to form beads from the glass. Just watch what I do." With that, she handed me a steel rod and a rod of navy colored glass, showing me how to heat the glass until it was just hot enough to wind around the steel rod and be molded in a shape according to my liking. My first attempts were nothing but misshapen mounds.

"That is very good, for a beginner," the woman replied as her expert hands quickly formed small, perfectly round green glass beads. "With more practice, you could become quite an artisan, like me."

My next attempt came out somewhat better, although they looked nothing like hers. Mahado gathered all of mine into a small leather pouch. "What are you going to do with them? Surely they're too ugly to be turned into a piece of jewelry!"

"I'm saving them as a souvenir," he explained, "for when your work is famous; I shall display them as your very first attempts."

I laughed at his words, but as I continued to try forming beautiful beads from the glass, I felt a love for the art implant itself deep into my soul, like a hunger that couldn't be easily satisfied. I was definitely determined to pursue this further when I returned to Thebes. We thanked the lady for taking her time with the demonstration, and I bought an abundant supply of her beads before we returned to the villa.

As the servant had told us, the view of the lighthouse at night was even more magnificent than it was during the day. The light it cast, guiding ships safely into the harbor, was quite enchanting, and during the nights it stood as a constant beacon that accompanied our moans of pleasure, along with the lulling murmur of the ocean waves. During the day, we explored the city, and lost ourselves amid the markets and the vast, sprawling maze that was the Library.

I especially enjoyed tasting the many savory and exotic foods. Even though we had our fill of all the delicacies of the kingdom, served by the talented cooks in the kitchens, they were nothing like the common, foreign dishes we tasted here. I seriously considered finding a new cook to add to the staff at the palace, but in the end I concluded that I would let Father send for one upon my return.

The week passed by in bliss, and all too soon, much to my chagrin, it was time to return to Thebes. I stood on the balcony, sighing as I gazed out onto the ocean and the lighthouse. Mahado stood with me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. "Don't be too sad; you'll still be able to see the ocean from the barge."

"These ten days have been pure paradise, and now it's time to return to the desert. I've fallen in love with the ocean; Karim was right- I don't want to leave!"

Mahado gently kissed me. "Oh, but think of how much the Prince must miss you, and your father too. I'll be glad to see Karim, Isis, and Shada again. And besides, we have our new home waiting for our return. We can return here whenever we wish to; this villa is ours. We'll be back before you know it."

I smiled at him, but in my heart, something told me that it would be a long time before we returned, if we ever did at all. Soon, he would become a priest, and his duties wouldn't allow him to make an extensive trip like this often. Also, if, Ra forbid, I became Queen Regent, it would be almost impossible for me to leave Thebes. So I took in all of the sights and sounds as if I was seeing and hearing everything in the city for the last time.

As the servants packed the last of our belongings, a messenger came running into the reception room, panting heavily. "Begging your pardon, Princess, but this message just came for you."

"Why, thank you," I said, placing a few coins in his hands and taking the scroll. I turned around to Mahado. "It's a message from Karim!"

"Oh good! Perhaps he's written to tell us that he's finally proposed to Isis! Let's see what he says!"

I eagerly unfurled the scroll, then, as I read, I clapped my hand to my mouth in shock. "What is it?" Mahado asked anxiously.

"It's… it's Isis," I said, quickly scanning the message a second time, hardly able to believe the message it contained. "She's left the palace and has been sent to the temple complex in Karnak."

His eyes widened. "But why?"

"I don't know, and unfortunately we'll have to wait until we return to the palace to find out." Suddenly, I couldn't wait to hurry home to find out what had befallen my friend, who had always been so calm and sensible. _Isis… oh Isis… what's happened? What have you done? _

_

* * *

_

**1- Hathor, in her role as the goddess of fertility, was called the Lady of the Vulva. **

**2- Min, likewise, was another fertility god, and was depicted as a man with an erect phallus. **

**3- The Egyptian calendar was split into 12 months of 30 days each, with an extra five days at the end that didn't belong to any month in particular. Each month was split into a 'week' of ten days. **

**4- For a description of Shu, see Chapter 2**

**5- Khnum was the god of pottery, and he was believed to form the life of every person on his wheel. **

**Whew! This was my longest chapter yet, and the next one will be slightly longer. Thanks for reading, and, as always, please leave a review! Next chapter will be up in a few days! :)**


	32. Isis's Decision

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh**

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* * *

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"She could only have done something very grave in order to be sent away like that, and before I even had a chance to say good-bye and see her off! What could it be?"

"Maybe she's finally fallen short of patience and talked back to her aunt during a lecture?" Mahado speculated. He placed his hands on my shoulders in an effort to still my pacing.

"Nonsense; Isis is the most patient person we know! And it has to be something worse than that."

"Maybe she and Karim couldn't help themselves, and they were caught in the act?"

"That's even more ridiculous! Isis would dance naked before the entire court before doing something like that!"

He sighed, and let me continue my pacing. "Well, you'll definitely wear the floorboards thin from all this pacing, and you're not doing yourself any favors with all this worrying. Just wait until we return to the palace, and hopefully all shall be explained."

I sat on the bed beside him. "But that's not for another two days! And I can't think of anything else!"

He gathered me close in his arms, kissing me. "Well then, I shall give you plenty to occupy your thoughts with in the meantime. After all, we have two days left before we have to go back to sharing ourselves with everyone in the palace."

* * *

As we approached the dock, I smiled as I saw Atem eagerly waiting for us, along with Karim, Shada, and Father. Before we even had a chance to disembark, Atem ran on board and bombarded me with a hug. I gasped for breath at his sheer strength. "Jani! Welcome back! I missed you so much!" He pummeled Mahado next. "And Mahado! By Ra, things were dull without you here! I'm never letting either of you go away for such a long time ever again!"

I laughed as I ruffled his hair. I had to admit that it was nice seeing him again after two weeks of being apart from him; it was the first time I ever spent a day away from the rambunctious ball of energy that was my brother.

"He's been counting down the days since you first left," Father said, chuckling and waiting with quiet dignity as we walked onto the dock before sweeping me into a hug. "Welcome back, Daughter." Mahado made to kneel before him, but before he could protest, my father swept him into a hug also. "Come, Mahado, you are my son-in-law now, and as family, you are exempt from such formalities."

My husband made to speak, but couldn't seem to find the words. "And that means that you're my brother-in-law!" Atem exclaimed, clapping his hands together. He turned his head over his shoulder and called, "Mana! Come quick! Jani and Mahado have returned!"

Mana, who was clearly Atem's female counterpart- just as spontaneous and energetic as he is- ran into my arms. "Welcome back, Princess and Lord Mahado! Shall we play tag and other magic games?"

"Let the two of them freshen up and rest from their journey first, young one," Father chided gently. He directed the servants to begin unloading the barge. I gave the order for the gifts to be sent to my room.

"Yes, send them to her new rooms," Father added. To my questioning glance, he answered, "On her deathbed, your mother told me that when you married, she wanted you to move into her quarters with your husband."

I felt my heart overflow with love at the memory of my mother. Perhaps by dwelling in her room, I could be closer to her spirit. As Mahado and I walked back towards the palace with Shada and Karim, I asked Karim, "What's happened with Isis? Your letter told so little, only that she was sent to the temple complex in Karnak. Something grave must have occurred while we were gone."

"In good time, Jasana. I'll wait until you and Mahado have freshened up; it's quite a heavy tale to tell, and I want plenty of time to be able to tell it to you."

I opened my mouth to protest, but Mahado only nodded. "Very well, we'll meet shortly before the banquet tonight, and you can tell us then."

* * *

After we had freshened up, we met with Karim and Shada in one of the rooms in the palace, where all the wedding gifts had been gathered. I sorted through them as Karim took notes describing each object, where it came from, and from whom.

Noticing a moving basket, I opened it in puzzlement. My eyes widened as I beheld a small ball of brown fur. "Why, it's a puppy!" I exclaimed, picking it up and cuddling it.

"A gift from your father," Karim explained.

"He is too kind," I replied. "The darling! What shall we name it?"

"Since you found him first, you may choose the name," Mahado said.

I looked at the dog. "I shall call you 'Senupi'. How about that?" The puppy licked me and gave a bark of approval. I handed him to Mahado.

His eyes softened. "You'll prove to be an excellent companion, I'm sure."

"These scrolls are most impressive," Shada said, inspecting our gift to him. "As the librarian, I shall be most glad to have them."

"Good," I replied warmly. I turned to Karim, "Now, Karim, you have kept us waiting for too long. What happened to Isis?"

Karim's face darkened. "Well… after you left, she and I had become closer. The first few days were nothing but bliss, and I came to believe that she returned my feelings."

"But that's wonderful!" I interrupted. Realizing this, I checked and quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, continue."

"Even though she was destined to wield the Necklace, I considered telling her how I feel, hoping that there could be some way that we could be together and still uphold our duties to the Pharaoh. And so, a week after you left, I confessed to her. Her eyes seemed to glow like the akhs in the House of Nut, and her smile was as warm as Ra's rays. She beamed, and opened her mouth to reply, but at that moment, her aunt swooped in like a hawk. Laying a hand on her shoulder, she replied sharply that Isis is meant to be the Priestess of the Necklace, and therefore must devote her chastity to Aset. She swept her away before she even had a chance to say anything!" Karim punched his fist into his other hand in frustration.

I gently laid a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry," I said softly, not knowing what else there was to say.

He continued, "So the next day, she sent Isis to the Temple of Aset at Karnak to complete her training, and to get her away from me. Then she immediately went to my father to tell him of what transpired, and he gave me a stern lecture. He told me to seek a wife in another woman. Since then, he's been parading woman after woman before me, and it's driving me insane! None of them can compare with Isis."

Mahado laid a hand on his other shoulder. "There are other fine women in this court; surely you can come to love one of them just as much as you love Isis?"

Karim shook his head. "It's been for us much like it has been for the two of you; we've been close friends since childhood, and only now I've realized my feelings for her. Would that I had realized sooner, before her destiny was sealed! I might have been able to change things, but now it is too late."

It pained my heart to see him like this. "Perhaps there's a way to still change things," I said.

A flash of hope lit his eyes. "How?"

"I can go speak to my father, or the Priestess, or even to Isis herself! The Priestess still looks to be in good health; she can find some other lady to train to take on her position, freeing Isis to be with you!"

"It won't be that simple, Jasana," Shada said. "The Items choose their wielders; not just any random person can be a Guardian of one of the Items. If the Necklace has chosen Isis, then her fate is sealed."

"But if the Item doesn't have a chance to choose her, then it possibly can't," I argued. "And why did the Priestess suddenly send her away? I didn't even get a chance to say good-bye to her! How long will she be there?"

"Six months," Karim answered, the shadow of despondency again filling his face.

"Six months?" I cried. "That'll be forever! There's no way I'm going that long without seeing her! In fact, I'll go and visit her tomorrow, and hopefully we can set things right."

"It's a long shot, but I suppose that we have to try," Mahado said. "For you and Isis deserve a chance at the happiness that Jani and I have."

* * *

I waited until after having a quiet dinner with Mahado in our rooms before seeking the Priestess of the Millennium Necklace, Menet. I found her at her scrying fire, and hesitated upon the threshold, not wanting to disturb her as she worked. I never had much interaction with the Priestess, who only appeared at the formal audiences and banquets but otherwise occupied herself with her scrying fire. As I contemplated whether or not to interrupt her, I thought of Isis, and her future being in her aunt's place. _Once she becomes the Priestess, will I ever be able to see her and spend time with her as we used to, or will she spend all her hours by this fire? _

Without turning around, Menet said, "Come in, Princess." Somewhat startled that she could sense my presence, I tentatively entered. She turned around to face me, her penetrating obsidian eyes meeting mine. "How may I be of assistance to you, Your Highness?"

"I… I was wondering why you have sent Isis away, and at such a short notice," I said, my voice faltering. For all of my preparation for this meeting, I found myself somewhat intimidated at having to ask such a question from the Priestess.

"That is none of your affair, Your Highness," she replied curtly. "However, if you must know, I have sent her away to complete her training, for her initiation approaches. She has spent enough time here in the palace, and I sent her away for her own good. At the temple, she will quickly embrace her destiny without any hindering distractions around."

"Distractions?"

"Yes, such as that of your friend Karim. I won't have him interfering when I have worked for eighteen years, molding Isis to be the perfect girl to replace me when I take my place in the west."

"But surely there is another girl who can take her place?" I insisted.

"Do you not know that not just anybody can wield such a powerful Item?" she asked disdainfully. "The Item chooses its wielder. It chose me, and I gladly embraced my destiny, for I had no wish to marry the man my parents had chosen for me. It is Isis's turn to embrace her destiny, and the Necklace has manifested to me that it has chosen her. She must accept her fate."

"It is not your place to force her so-called destiny on her," I cried, quickly forgetting my resolve to be polite. "She should be free to choose that for herself."

Priestess Menet scoffed. "As a servant of the Pharaoh and my apprentice, she does not have the liberties that you do, Princess. She has been raised for this all her life, and it is high time that she remember that. In Karim's company, and yours, she has easily forgotten that, and I sent her away to teach her a lesson. Now, if that is all that you have come to do, to try and get your friend back and to ask me to let her be with Karim, I am sorry to say that you have wasted your time. If you will excuse me, I must return to determining what the future holds for our kingdom, and that will require a great deal of concentration. Good night, Your Highness."

Seeing as that staying would be useless, I huffed, turned on my heel, and stalked out of the room. _Now I know why I never bothered interacting much with her!_ I thought to myself. _She is as hard and cold as the gold around her neck! How could Isis possibly be related to her?_ I hoped that Isis wouldn't grow up to be just like her aunt, yet, with the burden of seeing into the future for the sake of the kingdom, I didn't know exactly how Isis could prevent that. As a seer, she would need to be detached from everyone she loved, letting their fates come to pass as they would. I realized that this would change her drastically. _Oh, Aset, please let Isis and me remain friends, even when she becomes a Priestess! Please, let her be strong enough to maintain the ties of friendship that bind her to us!_

I walked right into my uncle. I gasped; I had hardly spoken to him since the time he had tried to convince me to marry Seto. "Forgive me, Uncle," I said quickly, still being on edge with him. "I didn't see you."

He chuckled, but the sound sounded strange coming from him. "That is quite all right, my dear Jasana. I hope all is going well in your marriage?"

I smiled, recalling the time Mahado and I spent in Alexandria. "They could never be better, thank you."

A strange sadness settled into his eyes as he replied, "May Aset and Hathor grant you much happiness with your husband," he replied, finishing under his breath_, "while he is still alive."_

Shaking off the shivers, I replied, "The future is still unwritten, known only by the Seven Hathors, and it is not for us mere mortals to know, Uncle. Good night." I turned to make my way back to Mahado's arms.

"Jasana, believe me, it is better to let this affair with Isis run its course," my uncle said quietly.

I turned around to face him. "What do you mean?"

"I know that you wish to see Isis and Karim together, but it is not meant to be. Believe me, I know this; the Eye has shown it to me. Isis must embrace her destiny as the bearer of the Necklace; it is the only way the kingdom can thrive."

"I don't see why the kingdom can't thrive with someone else as the Guardian of the Necklace," I retorted.

"Because none other is capable of the job besides her," he answered. "There is no one that has her prophetic talent, except one." He looked at me meaningfully. "Besides Isis, only you have the potential to wield the Necklace, but the gods have decreed a different fate for you."

"And what is that fate?" I asked, suddenly curious to know more about where my destiny lay.

He shook his head sadly. "Alas, I cannot see that much. But I must tell you; let this affair be. The more you try to interfere, the worse damage you will do. We cannot have all things as we wish them to be. If we could, things would be very different."

I failed to notice the cryptic meaning in his words. "I can't help myself, Uncle. If there is any chance that I can change things for Isis so that she can be happy, then I will."

"Ah, Jasana, your loyalty to your friends is admirable, but you cannot live their lives for them. What if Isis willingly went to the temple and embraced her destiny as the Priestess? It is not your place to make such a decision for her."

"No," I concurred, "but as her friend, I have influence. Perhaps I can convince her that she has a chance to change her destiny." With that, I began to walk away.

"Ah, my dear niece," I heard my uncle say ruefully, "there is so much that you have yet to learn about destiny."

* * *

"Really, Mad, I'll be fine taking the chariot! It's much faster that way, and I'll be back here before you know it!" I insisted, quickly kissing him before I climbed into the chariot.

"At least take another guard with you, for protection," he said, his brow slightly knit with worry.

I laughed, trying to make light of the situation. "Why, do you think that someone will come and kidnap me?" I lightly asked.

"I don't want to take any chances," he replied, still not backing down. He turned his head over his shoulder and called out, "Semni!" A man appeared at his side. "Please do me a favor and escort my wife to Karnak and back."

"Gladly, Lord Mahado," the man replied. He turned to me and bowed. "Allow me to introduce myself, Princess. I am Semni, son of Lord Djersohef, and a fellow magician-in-training of your husband's. It will be my honor to escort you on your journey."

I sighed, and smiled at the new man, masking my slight chafing at Mahado's new protectiveness. "It is nice to meet you, Semni. Shall we proceed then?" After another kiss from Mahado, we were on our way.

After an hour's chariot ride, Semni, the driver guard, and I arrived at the Temple of Aset. I left them outside and climbed the marble steps on my own, entering the cool reception sanctum. One of the acolytes recognized me, bowed, disappeared, and returned, saying, "The High Priestess will greet you shortly."

While I was waiting, I burned a cone of incense as an offering to Aset, praying, _O Great Mother, help me as I embark on this new journey with my husband. Please help me become a loving wife, and, in time, a loving mother as well. Even though I love Mahado, I am still nervous for how this marriage will change our relationship. Pray that it will bring us closer than we ever have been before. _

As I finished my prayer, I heard soft footsteps behind me, and I turned around to face the High Priestess. "It is good to see that your devotion to Aset is strong yet; she will see you through all your joys and hardships."

I made my obeisance before saying, "I have come to visit one of your acolytes, who just arrived a few days ago: Isis."

"Ah, yes, perhaps a visit from a friend such as you will lift her spirits," the priestess replied.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, puzzled.

"Ever since she came here, she has been wasting away, eating little and refusing to join the other acolytes in the hall and in the rites. I have given her a few days to adjust here, assuming that she has been homesick for the palace. But I have told her that when tomorrow comes, she must take her place with the other acolytes."

"I see," I said, knowing very well that it was not homesickness that was plaguing Isis, but lovesickness. "Take me to her, and I shall do my best to cheer her."

The priestess nodded. "This way; follow me." She ushered me into a spacious room filled with Ra's golden afternoon rays. Soft, mournful music pervaded the room, and I saw Isis sitting near a window, plucking at a harp and gazing sorrowfully out the window, her gaze focusing on nothing in particular. Upon seeing me, she gracefully rose to her feet, but made no move towards me. The priestess silently left, and I rushed to embrace my friend.

For a moment Isis didn't move, remaining as still as a statue, before she returned my hug. She didn't say a word, but she didn't need to; I could read her face as clearly as the hieroglyphs on a scroll. I led her to the window. "That was such beautiful music you were playing, and yet so sorrowful."

"It was a tune that I was composing for Karim's latest poem," she said. "He sent it to me, and the melody just came to me."

"May I see it?" I asked. She handed me a scrap of papyrus, and I read it aloud.

_I will love you,_

_Even with my last breath,_

_For although we are far away,_

_As separated as Nut from Geb,_

_Still you are near, _

_Forever here, in my heart._

_Oh my love, my heart is forever yours,_

_My ba forever spent _

_Heaving sigh after sigh, _

_Longing for what I can't have._

"How heart-wrenching," I said mournfully, handing the papyrus back to her, and settling down on the chair. "Come, tell me everything."

She sighed. "As I was recovering from that illness, I had a lot of time to think, and I thought to myself, 'Oh Aset, I never got to tell Karim how I felt!' I knew then that I had to live, in order to tell him how much he meant to me. That day that the two of us walked in the garden, we shared our first kiss, although we didn't exchange words, but neither of us saw the need to.

"I excused that as a ruse, just a spur-of-the-moment thing, not wanting to admit how much I had been longing for that moment, until your wedding, when he insisted that I dance with him. After you left for you honeymoon, we became closer. I tried to deny it, but I was falling in love with him. But then I realized that I had been trying to deny it for all these years, and that I had loved him all along."

"I could tell," I said. "But why did it pain you so? And why wouldn't you tell me?"

"You know that if I am to serve as the Priestess of the Millennium Necklace, I must remain a virgin, or else I will be unable to see into the future. Therefore, I can never be a wife. But soon after you left for your honeymoon, I foolishly hoped that maybe, just maybe, there could be a way for us to be together. He confessed that he loved me, and I was just about to reply that I loved him too, for I never exactly told him, when my aunt swooped in on us and put an end to it. She sent me here the next day, telling me that I will stay here for six months until it is time for my initiation. She hopes that my extended stay here will make me forget all about him and embrace my destiny. But oh, how could I possibly forget those few golden moments that I had with him? I shall treasure them for all of my life, especially since I cannot have him!" Her eyes swam with unshed tears.

I gently wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Could you possibly wait until you become Priestess and your aunt dies? Once that happens, you could choose another woman to take your place as a Priestess, and be free to marry Karim."

She sadly shook her head. "It doesn't work that way. Once I take the vows, they cannot be revoked. And once a person is chosen by the Necklace, they are chosen for life, or at least, for the majority of their life. By the time the power of the Necklace abandons me, I will be an old hag, and most certainly too old for marriage."

"What if you simply refuse? Just give yourself to Karim, and then you will be unable to wield the Item! Surely then the Necklace will have no choice but to choose another."

"But what if it doesn't? What if I'm the only one, as my aunt told me? Without me, the Millennium Court will be incomplete, and without a seer, Egypt could face unseen doom! It is my duty to take up the Necklace after my aunt. Although I love Karim with all my heart, and always will, I love Egypt more, and I know I must do my duty to my country and my Pharaoh."

I sighed; I thought she was giving up too quickly. "Isis, please, listen to me! You don't need to resign to the fate your aunt has molded for you since you came to the palace! You can still weave your own destiny, and live your life as you choose to! If you want to be with Karim, then by all means, be with him! Let someone else fill your shoes as the Priestess, there has to be another woman out there!"

"But if I give up my position as the Priestess, what will become of me then? Even as Karim's happy wife, I would chafe at the role I would have to play: being nothing more than a wife who gives her husband many children, with no power or position of her own. No, I couldn't do that."

"So this isn't just about doing your duty to Egypt and my father, it's also about your independence as well," I observed.

She turned her head away in shame. "For my duty, I must sacrifice my love for Karim. It is not an easy choice, I tell you, but I willingly choose to do it." She rose. "And now it is time for me to join the other acolytes in cleansing the goddess before the evening meal."

I rose, swallowing my sadness at her choice. Akhnadin was right; Isis had to make this decision for herself, and it was not for me to force her to change her mind, as much as I wish I could. I set a vase filled with irises on the table. "A gift from him," I explained, "a piece of the garden to fill your days until you return to us again. I shall miss you for these next six months, and although I wish that you would decide differently, I hope that your decision brings you much joy and no regrets."

She embraced me. "I shall regret having to sacrifice my love for him," she said, "but my heart will belong to him always, and I know that it is for a noble cause."

I wanted to ask her how she could be so confident in her destiny, but instead I turned around and walked out of the room, returning to the palace.

* * *

That night, as the entire court feasted to celebrate my and Mahado's return, I observed Karim carefully. The Sisters were all twittering over him, but I noticed that he seemed to pay special attention to Aramen, and she was completely in awe of him.

"Well, well, well," Mahado murmured to me. "Looks like Karim is back to being quite the ladies' man."

I frowned. "Well, without Isis here, of course he is!"

"Oh, don't be like that, Jani," he said gently. "You can't blame a handsome man like him milking the benefits for all they're worth."

"I suppose not, but when that doesn't give him permission to toy with any of the other ladies, especially Aramen. That girl doesn't deserve to get her heart broken," I replied hotly. I watched Karim as he continued his flirtations with disgust. I expected better from him, even if he was trying to recover from his heartbreak with Isis.

At the end of the banquet, I saw him leave with Lord Sep-u-khamen, Aramen's father. I abruptly grabbed him by the arm. "Karim, wait!"

"Is there a problem, Princess?" Lord Sep-u-khamen asked. "For I was just about to discuss a serious matter with Karim."

"Yes, is there a problem, Jasana?" Karim asked. He sounded so stiff, so unlike himself, that I momentarily found myself at a loss for words.

"I… I just wanted to tell Karim that I shall be expecting his company for a ride tomorrow afternoon," I smoothly replied. I could sense that Lord Sep-u-khamen wanted to discuss the matter of Aramen with Karim, and there was no way I could stop that.

Karim opened his mouth to protest, but I gave him a warning look; he would definitely have to explain himself to me, and there was no way he could avoid it. "Of course, Princess Jasana," he said, bowing. "I shall see you on the morrow."

"And I will be expecting answers, mister," I said privately into his ear. I nodded my head curtly and walked away.

Mahado steered me in the direction of our chamber. "I must say, Jani, your insistence on interfering in this can lead to no good. It's best if you let Karim alone and let him act as he pleases."

"Not when there's the heart of one of my friends at stake!" I flared. "And for shame, Mad, you actually approve of this? Karim is acting so unlike himself, it's disturbing! How can you stand idly by and keep yourself from knocking him in the head so that he can regain his senses?"

"Because I have enough sense to know that he is not a dog that I can order around to my bidding," he replied steadily. "No more than you can control Isis. Leave them be; it would be better that way."

I sighed. "It's just such a shame that it has to be like this for them."

He hugged me to him. "Yes, it is, but it can't be helped. Now come, let's see if we can wipe that frown off your face, hmmm?"

* * *

When I rose the next morning, I saw that Mahado was already gone. I assumed that he had an early lesson with his uncle, for I vaguely remembered him kissing me on the cheek earlier that morning as he left. _I wonder how long he can stay awake for_, I thought wickedly.

Aramen came in. "Good morning, Princess! Are you ready for your morning bath?"

I smiled; this would be the perfect opportunity to speak with her. "Yes, Aramen, would you please accompany me there?"

She bowed. "Of course!"

As I soaked into the hot water, I carefully observed her as she handed a jar of jasmine oil to one of the body servants. She wore a radiantly buoyant expression; it was clear that she was blooming from her first love. _Oh, Aramen, if only you had laid eyes on another!_ I thought wistfully. Yet, I had admitted that Karim was second-best, after Mahado, and I couldn't blame her for falling in love with Karim; many other women in the court had, including, I believed, some of her own sisters. I could sense their jealousy as he spoke to her last night.

"If I may be so bold as to ask, Aramen," I carefully started, "you and Karim seemed to be getting along rather well last night at the banquet."

She blushed. "Yes, I find him a most noble and handsome man! Isn't he, Princess? He's also a close friend of yours, correct?"

"Yes, that he is," I said. "At least he has some decency about him, unlike the other players in the court."

"If I may ask… could you tell me more about him?" Aramen asked shyly.

I turned to her. "What do you want to know?"

"Oh, everything that I can! What he likes to do, how he acts when he is angry, and things like that. I want to know as much about him as possible!"

"You are besotted with him, aren't you?"

She didn't reply but only blushed deeper. "I can't seem to help it, Princess, he is so charming, and so nice…"

"Aramen, please, listen to me. Yes, Karim is a noble man; I have no doubt of that. But do not get your hopes up too high. Often men may take interest in a woman, only to have that interest wane in a few months. I would hate to see you get your hopes crushed by only a passing infatuation."

Her face fell. "You think he is only infatuated with me? Don't you think he could come to have deeper feelings for me in time?"

I mentally slapped myself for my stupid mistake; I was already crushing her hopes myself. "I didn't mean it like that, Aramen, I'm only advising you to be careful is all. Just wait and see how he acts, and don't make any promises until you are certain of his feelings. Can you promise me that?"

"Yes, I promise! I shall do as you say," she said enthusiastically.

"Good," I said, choosing to believe that she would uphold her word. "Well then, I believe I have luxuriated in these waters long enough. If you will hand me that towel, I shall get ready to join my father and brother in the audience hall. Surely the most boring part of the audience would have been finished by now."

* * *

Karim was already waiting for me by the time I arrived at the stables that afternoon, forlornly stroking Nefertem's face. "What am I going to do, boy?" I overheard him say. "I probably can't find a better match than this, but still…"

"What match would that be?" I asked, already guessing that he was referring to Aramen.

He jumped, and turned around to me. "It's nothing," he said quickly. "Shall we ride?"

I narrowed my eyes, suspecting that he was lying, but decided to let it go; there would be plenty of time to get answers from him. "Very well, let's," I said.

As we tacked our horses, he said to me, "In a few months I'll be leaving for the temple of Ra, and I shall spend a month there before I'm initiated as the Guardian of the Scales."

"That's great!" I replied enthusiastically. "But what will your father do?"

"He will retire; he has a villa in Memphis being prepared for him. That was where he was born."

"Just like Mahado," I mused.

"Indeed." After a pause, he asked, "You consider Aramen a friend, do you not?"

"Yes, I do," I answered carefully. "Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering," he nonchalantly replied.

"That's not an answer," I said. "And don't pretend that I didn't notice you flirting with her last night. I thought you were better than that, Karim. How could you forget about Isis just like that?"

His eyes flashed. "I haven't, I could never forget about her. I was simply playing the game."

I understood which game he meant. "But this is not just simply a game to Aramen! You are treading on dangerous ground here, can you not see that? And what is the point of playing such a game in the first place? Isis has made her choice, and unfortunately, there is nothing that you or I can do about it but to accept it!" I mounted, and gripped the reins with an iron grip, causing Nephthys to sidle nervously. I loosened them, softly murmuring an apology to my horse for taking my frustration out on her.

Karim mounted, and we started towards the Nile. "It is a game to get my father off my back, so that he will think that I am seriously taking his advice and pursuing another lady."

"Well, can you not choose another lady besides Aramen to play with? She is clearly besotted with you, and I don't her to get hurt, especially not by someone like you."

"We got along well, and I thought she would do nicely for the charade," he said. "But I had no idea just how fond she was of me, and I played my part too well. Her father approached me last night and wanted to work out a betrothal."

I gaped at him. "Already? And what did you say?"

"I told him that I would have to be initiated first before I could think of taking a wife, and so I bought myself more time. But my father heartily approves of the match, and if he approves, then there should be no reason for me to object."

I could hardly believe what I was hearing. "But you barely even know the girl! How could you possibly not object to being married to a girl you don't love? Where is your sense of righteousness, Karim? Whatever happened to not marrying a woman unless you can give her your whole heart, or were you lying when you said that?"

He fiddled with the reins as he replied, "My father is pressuring me to marry, and if I really must, then it might as well be her. We get along well enough; perhaps I could come to grow fond of her, even though she isn't Isis…"

"But Aramen deserves to be truly loved, not to serve as a replacement for Isis!" I hotly retorted. "Honestly, I can't even believe that you would consider something like this, and now look at what you've done! The girl is half in love with you already, and if you break it off, she'll be hurt. But if you actually let yourself be married to her, then the deceit will ruin her entire life, so I suppose you might as well break it off right now before things get worse than they already have. Even so, this is so unlike you!"

He looked down to the ground, abashed. "I don't expect you to understand what it's like…"

"Excuse me? Have you forgotten that I was betrothed to Seto, even though I didn't love him? I know your situation exactly, Karim! And if I were you, then I would at least be single for the rest of my life than deceive myself and my betrothed into a marriage that could never succeed." With that, I turned Nephthys around and cantered back to the stable, not being able to stand being near him at the time. He remained where he was, staring wordlessly after me.

* * *

"I swear to Aset, it was all I could do not to reach out and smack him across the face! I was so frustrated with him!" I fumed.

Mahado's expression was somber as he smoothed my hair back from my face. "I must say, Karim's situation is very sticky indeed, but there is no reason for him to deceive the lady."

"If he really has to deceive a woman, why does it have to be Aramen?" I asked, pressing my cheek to his bare chest. "The poor girl…"

"With your help, she will recover, and she will find a man who truly loves her, I am sure of it. In this case, this is a situation where your guidance would be most useful. It is wasted on Karim and Isis, they are old enough and wise enough to make their own decisions and pay the consequences for them. But Aramen is young yet, and in much need of an older sister-figure to help her navigate the ways of love."

"She already has four older sisters," I reminded him.

"But she needs a true sister, like you," he replied. "I can see how much she admires and looks up to you. I never got the impression that she was particularly close with any of her other sisters, especially not Teraset." His smile widening, he continued, "Just consider it good practice for when our daughter comes of an age to love someone, although that will not be for a very long time."

I giggled. "All fathers are especially protective of their daughters when they come of that age. You won't be able to prevent nature from running its course."

He slid his hands under my shift, touching me in a place that made my breath quicken. "Oh, I know that, and I suppose there's nothing we can do but to let nature act as it will, starting now."

* * *

I refused to speak to Karim for a few days afterward, but from my continued observations I saw that he was being more careful around Aramen, and she, likewise, was being more demure. I could see that he was genuinely trying to get to know her better, hoping that she could be a suitable wife. But I knew that marriage would spell unhappiness for the both of them.

I occupied my days by beginning Aramen's training as a healer; I decided that healing would be the perfect way to measure her heka and see if she had the makings of a sorceress. Much to my surprise, her sisters Meret and Safira showed interest in learning healing as well, and Lady Aseneit gave me permission to take on their training, being busy training other ladies. I patiently tolerated Aramen's chattering about Karim, and her sisters seemed to admire him as much as they did. I couldn't bear to tell Aramen that Karim's affection couldn't compare to his love for Isis.

After a little prodding from Mahado, I decided to warm up to Karim again. After all, despite his flirtations, I knew that he was a noble man, and his father was not putting him in an easy situation. And after a few days, I started to miss his company during our rides. Mahado rode with me whenever he could and my brother as well, but without Karim or Isis, there was a strange emptiness to these excursions.

I went to find him to ask him to accompany on a ride, when I noticed servants carrying some of his belongings out of his room. "What is going on?" I asked.

"The Priest of the Scales bid us carry these items to the barge, Princess," a servant answered.

"What barge?" I asked impatiently.

"Lord Karim is departing for the Temple of Ra."

"What? Where is he?"

"I'm afraid I do not know, Princess," the servant meekly answered.

I turned on my heel and started to run. I hadn't had a chance to tell Karim that I forgave him, and already he was leaving. I had to find him before he left; I couldn't bear to go months without talking to him.

I found him at the lotus garden. I paused to catch my breath. "Thank Aset I was able to find you before you left!" I gasped.

"At least you're speaking to me again," he calmly replied, twirling a lotus blossom between his fingers.

"Yes, about that… I'm sorry I've been rather cold to you lately. It's just that I don't approve of your flirtations, but aside from that, you're still one of my best friends."

He smiled at last and patted me on the shoulder. "There's nothing to forgive, Jasana. I've had time to think, and I see that you're right- it's wrong of me to toy with someone's affections like that, especially with one as young as Aramen. In case you haven't noticed, I've really been trying to get to know her better."

"Yes, I can see that. But what's going on? Why are you leaving for the temple? You're not supposed to be leaving for another few months!"

"My father figured it was better if I leave and spend some more time at the temple, so that I can have a more in-depth training and have more time to meditate and contemplate my destiny. He hopes that in that time, the god will act to reduce my longing for Isis. He's not buying my charade," he finished sadly.

"But you can't leave!" I cried. "With Isis gone, and now you… what will Mahado, Atem, and I do?"

"Oh, I'm sure that you can manage, and I'm sure that in time, you won't even notice that I'm gone."

"That's not true, and you know it!"

"These next six months will pass quickly enough, Jasana," he said gently.

"But when you return, and Isis too, things will change, won't they?" I asked ruefully. "You'll be too busy to accompany me on rides, and Isis will be too busy scrying into the future for Egypt. The Items' power will affect you, transforming the both of you from my dear friends into duty-bound priests who have to be detached from all emotion." Suddenly, tears started to my eyes. "You'll be totally different, and I won't be able to recognize you anymore…"

Karim pulled me to him in a tight brotherly hug. "I'll be sure to make some time to go on a ride with you whenever I can," he said comfortingly. "And I'll always be your friend, no matter what. No power of any Item can change who I am, and Isis will still remain as she is, you'll see. We may be busier, but we'll still gather whenever we can, and it won't be terribly different."

I looked into his kind, emerald eyes. "Promise?"

"I promise, with Aset and Ma'at as my witnesses."

"I still don't know what Mahado and I will do without you," I said.

He teased, "Oh, I'm sure the two of you will find _plenty_ to do. I hope that when I return, I'll have joyous news from you." His eyes drifted to my belly.

I laughed. "I hope so, with all my heart. But it's too early to tell yet. Anyway, I shan't be keeping you, but you better not go before you bid good-bye to Mad."

"He already knows that I'm going, and I've already told him good-bye. Watch out for each other, and look after your brother. I will return before long."

I placed my hand on his shoulders as I blessed, "May Aset, Hathor, Ra, and all the gods be with you as you prepare for your initiation."

"May they watch over you and bless your womb," he replied, placing his own hand on my shoulder. Glancing at the sundial, he said, "It's time for me to go." I walked with him to the dock, where Mahado and Shada were already standing, with Father and Karim's father. I watched as the barge pulled away, with Karim standing tall and proud at the prow, facing forward to meet his destiny.

* * *

**Heehee, i've always wanted a dog named "Snoopy", but my parents wouldn't stand for it. Naturally, I had to find a way to Egyptian-ize the name. **

**Thanks for reading! And, as always, please leave a review! I'm writing the chapters so quickly, my updates can't keep up with them! I have three completed chapters waiting to be uploaded, so the next one should be coming out very soon! **


	33. Initiation

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh**

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* * *

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"Lord Karim and Lady Isis, I bid thee come forth!" Shimon called, his voice resonating throughout the room. My heart soared upon seeing the two of them again. I had regularly visited Isis, but as a woman, I was forbidden from visiting Karim while he underwent his preparation to become a Guardian and had to send Mahado in my stead. I watched them carefully as they approached: Isis carried herself with her usual calm, her face a mask of marble as she walked to meet her destiny. A zealous fire burned in Karim's eye as he came nearer. The both of them appeared not to acknowledge each other until they stood before the dais; only then did they allow their eyes to meet and a small sad smile to replace their stoic expressions.

The Priest of the Millennium Scales and the Priestess of the Millenniun Necklace stepped forward. The Priest of the Scales put both of his hands on his son's shoulders and said, "Now, having faithfully served my Pharaoh for twety years, I gracefully relinquish my duty to you, Karim, my son. I trust that you shall serve His Excellency with every fiber of your being." He handed him the golden scales.

Karim solemnly nodded his head and took the scales from his father's hands. He knelt before my father with his right hand over his heart, pledging, "My King, from this day on I shall serve thee and Egypt to the best of my abilities, for as long as this Item sees fit to grace me with its power. With Ma'at as my witness, I shall uphold her ways and see justice served throughout the land, using this item only to bring peace and prosperity."

Priestess Menet relinquished her Item next, and for a moment as she held the Millennium Necklace out to Isis, I saw a spark of rebellion and disdain in her eyes. For a second, I foolishly thought that she would refuse. But this spark was so fleeting, I convinced myself that I must have simply imagined it as Isis obediently took the Necklace from her aunt's hands and repeated the same vow that Karim said.

"Welcome to the Millennium Court," Father said formally. "I place my faith in you to obey me as the Living Horus and to uphold the ways of _ma'at_ in our beloved country. Tonight, we celebrate in your honor." He stood, and descended the steps of the dais, leading the way to the banquet hall, and the rest of us followed in his wake.

I let myself linger after the other Guardians, and waited until we exited the throne room before I ecstatically embraced Isis and Karim. "Finally you've returned!" I said happily. "I didn't think I could bear another month without the two of you in the palace!"

Mahado's arm snaked around my waist, pulling me away from Karim. "Well, you had me to help the time pass much faster, didn't you?" he asked, pretending to be offended. "Or do I mean so little to you now that we are married?"

I smiled and wound my arm around his waist in return, giving him an affectionate squeeze. "My love for you multiplies tenfold every day, if that's even possible. And while I managed to last six months without Isis and Karim here, I wouldn't last half a week if you were to go!"

"It's certainly good to have the two of you back with us again," Shada said. "It's been dull having only Seto as company, along with the other Guardians." With that, we entered the banquet hall, and the five of us chatted the night away to catch up.

"Have there been any signs yet?" Isis asked quietly, her eyes indicating towards my belly.

I sadly shook my head. "Not yet, but surely I shall conceive soon."

She patted my shoulder. "You need not worry, for some women at least a year goes by before they conceive for the first time. And each month you do not conceive, it gives you and your husband an opportunity to try again. I'm sure that Mahado isn't in too much of a rush to have someone to share your love with."

I giggled. "Indeed, although he was quite eager for children before our marriage, I think by now he's enjoying hogging all my company while he still can."

"And what of Karim? I have heard certain rumors that he has been pursuing Aramen." Pain momentarily flashed in her eyes.

"That's nothing; it was only a charade to deceive his father," I said quickly, although I knew I was telling half a lie. "His father has been pressuring him to marry."

"As he should," Isis said stoically. "It's Karim's duty to have an heir to pass his Scales onto when the time is right, and how can he do that if he doesn't take a wife? Besides, he deserves to find someone who can love him and make him happy, even if that someone isn't me."

I said nothing; I knew that my opinions would fall on deaf ears. "But rest assured," she continued lightly. "We shall continue to be close friends. I don't harbor any ill feelings towards him, and it will be as it always has been."

At that moment, Mana called away her attention, and Karim reached out across the table to refill my goblet. "Thank you, Karim, but shouldn't you be attending to Aramen? I already have someone to see to my every need."

"Can I not attend to you as my Princess?" he bantered back lightly, taking care that Mahado was out of earshot. "Besides, I should tell you this: I have decided that I shall never marry."

I raised my eyebrow at this revelation. "Really? So you have decided to stop pursuing Aramen?"

"Yes; if I can't have Isis as my wife, then I shall have no other. It is the least that I can do to show my eternal devotion to her, even if she must dedicate herself to Aset. My heart shall be forever hers."

I smiled sadly at how things had come to pass. "And what does your father think of this?"

"Oh, he doesn't know, and I have no intention of telling him. By the time he figures it out, he will be in Memphis, and too far away to do anything about it. Besides, I am the holder of the Scales now, and my own master. I shall do as I wish, and when it is time to pass them on to someone else, surely there will be a worthy noble who will be chosen, just as Seto was chosen for the Millennium Rod."

"Indeed," I replied, recalling how the previous Priest of the Rod had no son or kin to take on as an apprentice. "But won't you be lonely without a wife by your side?"

"I shall have my duties to the Pharaoh, and my friendships with all of you. And I shall have Isis as a dear friend, for that is what we shall remain, if we cannot become more," he said wistfully. "I only have one favor to ask of you: to help ease Aramen's pain, for I am afraid that she has become quite attached to me, and I'm already wracking my mind as to how to make this as gentle as possible."

I sighed. "That is why you should have chosen another instead of her in the first place, but I shall do my best. You have my word."

He let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

I smiled raised my cup to him. "Now, shall we have a toast in honor of the best Sacred Guardians of the Pharaoh Egypt has ever seen?"

* * *

As Karim promised, things didn't prove to be too different, at first. Together with Isis and Mahado and Atem, we still managed to go on a ride together at least once a week. Other times, only my brother accompanied me, with guards following discreetly behind.

"I wish that we could race along the Nile without them trailing us," Atem said wistfully during one of these rides.

I laughed. "You have to remember, Brother, that we are the two heirs to the throne of Egypt. As such, we do not have the luxury of much privacy."

"But at least you do!" he pouted. "You're only second in line, whereas I'm constantly watched! What I wouldn't give to trade places with you for just one day, to taste a bit of that freedom!"

"There, there," I said soothingly, understanding too well how he must be chafing at the presence of the guards. Since we had married, Mahado had insisted that I too be accompanied by guards on my rides, even with Isis and Karim. Trying to cheer him up, I said, "If you think you are ready, Atem, I will show you how I jumped that wall. I've been experimenting, and I think I remember it well enough to teach it to you, but you have to promise me that you'll be careful."

His amethyst eyes immediately lit up. "Really, Jani?"

I laughed. "Yes. After all, you are growing up quickly, and you've already shown exceptional prowess with the sword. Perhaps this will be a skill that will prove useful when you become Pharaoh, though Ra forbid you should ever need it."

"Thank you, Sister! So when can we start?"

"Right now, if you wish," I replied, motioning to the grooms to begin setting up the jumps in the arena along with a series of poles on the ground. "I can promise you that this will be more fun than a race along the Nile." I hopped off Nephthys and handed her to a groom; I would need to be on the ground for this lesson.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Mahado approaching, and I smiled at him. "Mahado!" Atem called out. "Jani's finally agreed to show me how she jumped that wall when she went to rescue you!"

His eyes widened as he approached. "Jani! You didn't!"

"Oh come, Mad, there's no harm in showing him how. He probably will have more need of that skill than I do. And it will improve his balance in the saddle too."

"But it's dangerous! I don't think the Pharaoh will approve."

"Once I explain it to Father, he will surely understand," Atem insisted. "So what brings you here, Mahado?"

"Pardon the interruption, my Prince, but I wish to steal my wife for a moment; I wish to speak with her."

"We can begin your lesson tomorrow, Atem," I promised him. I glanced towards the west. "It's almost time for the evening banquet anyway, and Father will be expecting you soon. I suggest you go and change; it would not do for you to show up in a dusty kilt smelling of the stable!"

He sighed. "Very well, Sis. I shall see you shortly." He led his horse out of the arena and handed him to a groom before walking away.

Mahado waved the guards away as we turned towards the Nile. His arm came around my shoulder, and I tenderly wrapped mine around his waist as we strolled along the banks in leisure. Seeing that he appeared to be deep in thought, I asked him, "So what's on your mind, Mad?"

"I don't know how I can gently tell you this, but in three days' time I will depart for the sacred sanctuary of Thoth; the time of my initiation into the Millennium Court approaches, and I must go there to prepare myself for my new position."

I nodded; this came as no surprise. "I had always known that this time would come."

"But Jani, I must remain there in isolation for an entire month. I can't even send a letter to you, or receive any in return."

Now I was shocked. "A month? You're going to be away from me for an entire month?"

"Actually, I must in reality train for three months," he said hesitantly. Before I could begin a tirade, he held up his hand. "But after a month, I'll be able to stay in the palace at night, only spending the day at the sanctuary."

"That still seems like an eternity…" I said, tears starting to my eyes.

He hugged me to him, and I began to weep onto his shoulder. "Hush, Jani, please don't cry, you know how I hate it when you do," he pleaded. "Yes, it will seem like an eternity, but it is necessary if I am to become a Guardian. Know this, I will think of you with my every breath and heartbeat."

"And I you," I replied, doing my best to stifle my sobs and be optimistic. "And at least it's not forever."

"You'll have your brother and Isis, and I've asked Karim to look after you, and I know that he will be as caring as me. And you'll have Senupi to keep you company too. I bet that little beast will enjoy sleeping in my place."

I let out a watery laugh. Much to Mahado's annoyance, our dog preferred to sleep on his pillow, and every night he had to pry him off and plant him at the foot of our bed. I clung to him, inhaling the scent of his skin. "But Mad, I was hoping that I would conceive before you left…"

"Well, we have three days before I go," he said, smiling slyly. "So we have plenty of opportunity. Come, there isn't a moment to spare."

"You'll have to at least wait till after dinner," I teased.

* * *

Our lovemaking the third night was especially sweet and passionate. I made sure to treasure every moment, knowing that I would not be able to sleep in his arms for an entire month, and if Lord Serewakht changed his mind and asked Mahado to stay there for the entire three months, then it would be much longer. As we drifted off to sleep, I shook him gently. "Mad?"

"Hmmm?" he asked, already half asleep.

"What if… what if I'm barren?" I asked, giving voice to one of my deepest fears. "What if we never have a child?"

He tenderly rubbed his nose against mine. "Don't say that, Jani. I know that we will; it's only a matter of time. You only need to be patient. Besides, we have years and years ahead of us, and I don't doubt that we will have plenty of children. But for now, I'm enjoying it just being the two of us, which means that we can try as much as we like to conceive."

"The nights will be so cold and lonely without you," I said sadly, clinging tighter to him.

"Keep me close, in your heart and in your dreams, and I shall keep you in mine," he whispered soothingly as he stroked my cheek. "That shall make the days bearable until we're together again.

He fell asleep, but I lay awake for some time, listening to the sound of his breathing and reveling in the feeling of his arms around me. Eventually, with his breathing as a lullaby, I let myself succumb to slumber.

When I awoke, I saw that his side of the bed was empty. _He's gone already… without saying good-bye._ My heart wrenched, but as I turned I saw a white lotus blossom floating in a small bowl, with a note.

_The sun warms everything, _

_Even when I am far away. _

_Love me faithfully, _

_And know that I am faithful._

_Completely, in my whole heart_

_And my whole mind I am with you_

_Even though I am absent in a far place.*_

_Jani, forgive me for leaving so early, but I know that I could never bring myself to say good-bye and leave you if you were awake. Thus I soothe the aching in my heart by tearing myself from your embrace. Just writing this, and watching you as you sleep, as peaceful as I have ever seen you, is rending my heart in two. _

_If you find yourself missing me too much, then just imagine my love being as Ra's presence at day, and Khonsu's at night: forever shining upon you, and likewise, I shall imagine your presence in them as well, forever with me until I return to your arms again._

_With all my love,_

_Mad_

I wiped the tears from my eyes as I feverishly read his letter. Senupi curled up beside me, and I gently stroked his back. Noticing that Ra had just barely begun his ascent, I quickly donned my sleeping shift and rushed out of my room, finding the balcony that overlooked the gates to the palace. I reached there just in time to see the doors closing on a person riding a white horse, which I recognized as Mahado and Bata.

"Farewell, Mad," I murmured, "And Bata, take care of him, boy. He will need your companionship in the month ahead." I wished with all my heart for Ra to make the month pass as quickly as possible.

* * *

"Jani? Jani, it's your move!" Atem said, impatiently tugging on my sleeve.

"What? Oh, I'm sorry," I said, and absentmindedly moved a senet piece.

"Really, Jani, you're not going to let me win that easily, are you? Surely you can see by now that you don't need to let me win as you used to do, I'm old enough to be a more worthy opponent!"

I managed to smile. "And so you have. Very well, let's have a rematch." I swept away the pieces and reset the board. "This time, I'll put up more of a fight."

"And if I win, then you have to give me a riding lesson today," he insisted.

"Deal."

Despite his best efforts, I won. But Atem didn't pout and throw a fit as he used to. Instead, pleading with his eyes, he asked, "Couldn't you still give me a riding lesson anyway?"

"Not today, Atem. Perhaps tomorrow."

"But what would you do in that time? You'd be doing nothing but moping over Mahado's absence!"

"That's not true! I have magic to practice, and scrolls to read, and the girls to teach healing to, and-"

"And you prefer their company to mine? You hardly ever spend much time with me anymore; you have teaching to do, and Father has increased my lessons. I miss all the time that we used to spend together."

I sighed. Atem was quickly spinning a web of guilt around me. "Very well, I can always reschedule Aramen's lesson for another time, and you're right- we haven't been spending that much time together, although I think you're exaggerating a little just so you can get a riding lesson out of me."

A mischievous smile spread across his face. "I know exactly how to push your buttons to get my way," he said with glee.

I gave him a mockingly stern look. "Don't push it too far, or I might change my mind." He meekly wiped the smirk off his face. "Now go and get changed." He ran out of the room, and I went to the stable and gave the order for the grooms to set up the jumps. Nephthys nickered a greeting, and I smiled and fed her a piece of honeycomb. As she munched, she turned her head and looked at Bata's empty stall next to her. The two of them had become mates over the past few years, and she hung her head sadly.

"I miss them too, girl," I murmured, softly stroking her neck, "but at least they have each other while they are gone, just like we have each other. Only half a month to go before they return." She perked her ears up and affectionately nudged my shoulder.

Atem came striding in. Seeing that I was saddling Nephthys, he said, "I thought I was riding Sobek."

"He's not used to jumping," I explained, "and Nephthys has worked with me several times; I know that she can be trusted to carry you safely."

I led Nephthys out of the stableyard and into the arena, and Atem mounted her. "Let's start with you trotting a few laps around the arena first, and letting your hips roll with the motion." He obediently clucked to Nephthys, and she dutifully broke into a trot. I had him trot over a series of poles on the ground next, practicing the crouching position that I had discovered was better for jumping. "Remember, grip her neck so that your arms will be able to absorb the motion of her jumping," I instructed. "If you simply grab her mane, the shock will have nowhere to go."

After a while, I bid Atem to dismount, and I took the reins. "Now, watch carefully, for today, I'll have you try your first jump. I let out a huge breath, and then clucked Nephthys into a trot. "Notice that I'm not letting her cut a corner," I said as I approached the jump. I felt my spirit take flight as her feet left the ground. That's what I loved about jumping; the exhilarating feeling that came with the flight.

Atem eagerly clapped his hands. "That was awesome, Sister! Can I try now?"

I swung off Nephthys' back. "Yes, you may try now. Remember, it's important not to cut the corner approaching the jump, and when you approach it, look straight up between her ears."

Atem started, but once he approached the jump, he looked down and Nephthys came to a grinding halt, nearly unseating him.

"I told you," I said calmly, "you can't look down at the jump; that will be a signal to your horse to stop right at the jump. You must look straight up, and that will cue your horse to go over the jump. Try it again."

This time, Nephthys sailed neatly over the jump, but once she landed, Atem slid right off and tumbled into the dust.

"Atem!" I cried, mentally slapping myself for letting him do such a thing in the first place. Grooms came running to him, but he rose by himself and brushed the dust off. "I'm fine," he insisted. "Let me try again."

"I… I think that's enough for today," I said, resolving not to let him jump ever again.

"Please, Jani! That was only the first time, and as Shimon has always said, if one fails the first time, one must try again!"

I could not form a solid argument against his logic. "Very well, but remember your balance," I said. This time around, he neatly kept his seat through the jump. "Very beautifully done, Atem! That was a wonderful recovery indeed!"

He beamed at me. "See? I told you that I could do it. After all, I do have exceptional skill."

I laughed. "Indeed you do."

"So," he said, pulling Nephthys to a halt, "are there any other, more dangerous tricks you've learned to do? For I intend to learn them all!"

* * *

"Hold your hand further down along the steel rod, Princess, or else you will burn yourself," the artisan instructed. I obediently slid my hand further down the rod. "Now the glass has melted sufficiently, and you may apply the color of your choosing." I held a rod of navy glass against the steel frame, and the glass consequently melted, and I wound it around the steel rod. I next chose to apply some green glass as well: the colors of Nut and Geb. Once the glass cooled, I beheld my latest creation with a sense of pride. My skill steadily increased with more instruction and practice. Upon hearing of my interest in glass beadmaking, Father sent for the best artisan to teach me the art, and set up a workshop within the palace so that I could make beads whenever I pleased.

"Very good, Princess," my teacher, Hunefer, praised. "You are making quick progress, and soon you shall have no need of my instruction."

I felt myself glowing with pride. There was something calming about watching the glass form on the rod, and it was exhilarating being able to bring a thing of beauty from emptiness into existence. I now knew how Ra must have felt when he created the world from Nun (1), and how Khnum must feel as he forms each life on his potter's wheel. The beads were like children of my creativity, and I treasured them as such. It was greatly rewarding to fashion my own jewelry, and at a less expense than buying them from the artisans. Much to my surprise, the other ladies admired my handiwork and expressed interest in buying them from me. I decided that if I had more time from my other duties, I would create necklaces and bracelets to sell. In the meantime, I created mainly for myself and as gifts to my friends.

I saw a head peek around a corner, and I smiled. "Come in, Mana." She shyly slid in, followed by Atem. "We've come to see you at your work," Atem said. "May we watch you, Sister?"

"Of course," I answered. "Just stay a safe distance away from the kiln, and you can watch." For the next few hours, they watched as I made bead after bead, until I had enough to make a necklace and a bracelet. In a chest in my room were other beads of carnelian, turquoise, and amethyst. I smiled to myself as I bid farewell to Hunefer, put away the tools, and extinguished the kiln. The blue and green beads glittered like small gems.

"How pretty!" Mana exclaimed, reaching out a hand to touch them.

"Careful, I think they're still hot," I warned. Sure enough, once her finger touched one of them, she quickly pulled it back and put it in her mouth.

"Honestly, Jani, is there anything you can't do?" Atem asked wonderingly. "You are a healer, sorceress, princess, and now an artist too! Four professions in one person! You could make a fortune with these beads!"

I smiled at his compliment. "I'm sure that when you'll older, you'll find passions of your own to pursue and find yourself a man of many talents as well, Brother," I replied.

"Well, if you're done, Sister, could you come to the stable with us? I want to show Mana the jumping!"

I mockingly rolled my eyes. "You've been asking me to accompany you to the stable almost twice a day nowadays," I said, pretending to be exasperated.

"Pretty please, Sis?" The begging look appeared again in Atem's eyes, and he knew very well that I could never refuse those eyes anything.

"Very well, perhaps this time we can get Sobek to jump those jumps," I answered.

* * *

"Now, Aramen, today I will teach you how to conjure an item. Are you ready?"

She eagerly nodded her head. "Yes indeed, Princess!"

"So, I will have you try to conjure a pot, much like the ones you see over there. Close your eyes, and concentrate on what you want to appear. In order to will it into existence, you must have a perfectly clear picture of the object in your mind. In time, you will be able to conjure items silently, but for now, when you are ready, I want you to chant the words, 'I command thee into existence, O- whatever object you want to appear.'"

She closed her eyes, and after a few moments, did as I told her to. Nothing happened, and she let out a sigh of frustration.

"Try again, Aramen. It's natural for nothing to happen on the very first attempt," I said encouragingly.

On her second try, only a small shard of pottery appeared. "That was a great improvement! Now we just need the rest of the pot. Third time's the charm, or so they say."

On her third try, an exquisite black-and-white pot showed up, but it showed no resemblance to the other pots in the courtyard. "Excellent work, Aramen! Although it doesn't look anything like any of the other pots in the courtyard."

"Well," she said sheepishly. "I thought the other pots rather dull, so I decided to make this one prettier. After all, it is my first conjured pot."

I laughed. "That's true enough; Mahado, Karim, Isis, and I conjured these pots when we were just beginning to learn magic."

"Really?" she asked, her interest piqued. "They've been here forever then!"

"Yes; it's a wonder why we didn't improve them once our magic improved."

At that moment, a servant bowed before us and said, "Forgive the interruption, Princess, but Lord Mahado has just entered the palace!"

My heart leapt. "He's a day early! Where is he?"

"Approaching the stable, Your Highness."

"We shall continue your lesson another time, Aramen," I said quickly, taking off to the stable at a run. Any plan of dressing up carefully and looking my best for his return flew out of my head; I was only concerned with seeing him as soon as possible.

He had just dismounted. Bata saw me first and whinnied a greeting, and Nephthys trotted to her stall gate and whinnied in return. Mahado turned around, and upon seeing me he dropped the reins and started running towards me. "Jani!"

"Mad!" I cried, flinging my arms around him. He picked me up and swung me around, and we kissed hungrily.

"By Thoth, I missed you so much I was sure I would die of it," he murmured, crushing me to his chest.

I inhaled his scent. He smelled of horse, sweat, and hours in the sun, but I didn't care. "Same for me," I replied, kissing him deeply. "I'm so glad that you're back a day early!"

"I was hoping to sneak up to our room and surprise you, but I knew I wouldn't be able to keep the servants quiet," he said, laughing. He handed Bata to a groom and walked with me back to the palace.

"Lord Mahado!" one of the servants greeted. "Shall I inform Lord Serewakht, the Pharaoh, and the others that you have returned?"

"I shall inform them myself in my own time," he replied. He quickened his stride, and I had to run to keep up with him. "Come on, you're so slow!" he taunted. "I'm going to have all my clothes off by the time you get to our room!"

"Oh really?" I rejoined. "We'll see about that!" I quickened my pace.

"Still too slow!" With that, he swept me up in his arms and raced to our bedchamber.

* * *

"Mad, my love, relax! You are going to be fine! Or else I'm going to have to spend another hour massaging these knots from your shoulders, and you'll be late, and we can't have that now, can we?" I added pressure to my massage, rubbing lotus oil into his back.

He sighed. "Maybe you should quiz me again, just in case."

"I quizzed you three times last night, and I can't bring a scroll into the tub with me; it'll only get ruined," I said soothingly. "If my massage can't relax you, I shall have to resort to other means," I teased, licking his earlobe in the exact spot that never failed to arouse him.

It worked immediately; I felt his muscles melt under my touch. "Jani…" he moaned. "Of all times to work your magic… you're going to make me late!"

"My only aim was to make you relax, not to seduce you," I lied. "And you need to focus on the mages' exam today."

He immediately tensed. "What if I do not score high enough to become a Guardian?"

I playfully slapped him on the shoulder. "Nonsense! This is what you've been training for the last three months for, and what you've been learning with Master Serewakht for years! You are more than ready, and you will get a perfect score on the exam, I know it. Just be positive and have faith in yourself, just as I have faith in you."

He smiled at me. "Well, with your faith and love, there is no way I can fail!"

I handed him a towel and helped him dress. Using shears, I trimmed his hair before he donned his headdress. I escorted him to meet Lord Serewakht, and gave him a quick kiss. "Best of luck, and may Aset and Thoth be with you!" I whispered in his ear.

Looking slightly nervous, he walked away with Lord Serewakht, who asked him. "Well, my boy, are you ready? Today's the big day!"

I passed the hours with teaching Aramen more simple spells. She made quick progress as she proved herself to be quite a capable magician. Finally, I was supervising Atem as he conquered jump after jump, when a servant said, "Your Highnesses, the Pharaoh requests your presence for Lord Mahado's initiation."

"He did it!" Atem exclaimed happily. "He passed the test!"

"Yes, that must mean that he succeeded," I concurred.

We met him in the lotus garden. "Congratulations, Mahado!" Atem said as he hugged him.

I patiently waited until my brother released him before I embraced him and kissed him. "I knew you could do it," I said smugly.

"I passed with flying colors," he said proudly.

"He did better than that," Serewakht added, "he had an almost perfect score!"

We walked together to the throne room, and Atem and I joined Father's side. From the dais, Isis and Karim smiled at Mahado.

Mahado approached the dais and fell to his knees. Lord Serewakht stepped forward, and said, "Now, I gracefully relinquish my duty as the Sacred Guardian of the Pharaoh and Keeper of the Millennium Ring to Mahado, my nephew. I trust that you shall serve the Pharaoh and Egypt to the best of your ability, utilizing your heka to uphold ma'at and keep the palace secure. May Aset, the Mistress of Magic, and Thoth, the Master of Wizardry, watch over you in your every endeavor."

With that, he slid the Ring off his Neck, and placed it around Mahado's neck. To this day, I swear that at the very moment the Ring landed around his neck, there was a menacing gleam from the eye. But nobody else seemed to notice it, and Mahado placed his right hand over his heart and recited his vow. "Many thanks for this great honor, my Pharaoh. Rest assured that from this day forward, I shall serve thee well with every ounce of my strength and heka, upholding the ways of _ma'at_ in our beloved country."

"Lord Mahado, as the new Sacred Guardian of the Millennium Ring, I bid thee welcome to the Millennium Court," Father replied, gesturing for Mahado to rise and take his place among the Guardians. "Tonight, we celebrate in your honor."

We made our way to the banquet hall and enjoyed a small feast. Amid the din of the music, I overheard Semni ask Lord Serewakht, "So now that you are retired, Lord Serewakht, what will you do?"

"I shall stay on at the court," Serewakht answered. "in case Mahado needs help."

"Lord Serewakht, pray tell me what you mean," I said, joining the conversation.

"It will take him a while to get used to the Millennium Ring, and it may prove to be too much for his abilities," he replied.

"Nonsense!" I said, looking over to where my husband was laughing with Shada and Karim. "I'm sure that he will be more than able to handle the Item with his superior skills."

"I hope so too, for his own sake," he mysteriously said, looking uncertainly towards his nephew.

* * *

**1- The Egyptians believed that Ra created the world from the chaos of Nun, which was the only thing that existed before the world. **

***A loose translation of a part of the Latin poem "Omnia Sol Temperat" by Carmina Burana. It appears in a choir song that I absolutely adore. **

**Thanks for reading! And please review too! :)**


	34. Mahado's Struggle

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh**

**

* * *

**

"Jani, starting tomorrow I will enter the Temple of Thoth and serve him for an entire month. In that time, I must remain pure, and so I shall have to occupy another chamber."

I nodded my head in understanding. "How often will you have to serve in the Temple?"

"One month every season, so a total of three months every year," he answered, brushing hair away from my face.

I lazily traced circles across his chest with my index finger. "Well, that's not bad, although I'll miss your company in here during those months."

"At least it won't be as bad as the month I had to spend at the Sacred Sanctuary," he said, pulling the blanket up to cover both of us.

"Mad, I overheard Lord Serewakht saying that the Ring might be too much for your abilities," I said, letting my eyes drift to his stomach, where the Ring glowed in the moonlight. "Just promise me that you'll be careful."

"It'll probably take me a while to adjust, but I've been training with my uncle for this for years now. I'll be fine, my love, I promise you." He pulled me towards him for a kiss. "Now let's sleep, Jani. Tomorrow I begin my career as a Sacred Guardian, and it would not do if I have only half my energy."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't have spent some of that energy on me," I teased.

He smiled. "It was worth it, and if I'm to forego your company for an entire month, then at least I will have the memory of this night to carry me through that time."

* * *

Five days later, I was teaching Aramen and Safira in the medical wing when two men came in, helping a limping Semni into the room. I could see that his arm was burned. "By Aset!" I gasped. "What happened?"

"It was nothing," Semni replied, "just a tiny accident."

"It doesn't look like a tiny accident," I replied. "Really, what happened?"

"We were practicing our battle training, conjuring the elements to battle with. Mahado, having conjured a stream of fire, lost control, and Semni got burned," one of the men answered.

"What?" I asked, shocked that Mahado did this to his friend. "But he's never lost control before!"

"This is the second time something like this has happened in the past few days," the other man said. "The other time occurred when a flying sword he conjured moved erratically, but nobody was harmed, and after a great effort he brought it under his control again."

This was disturbing news indeed; I had never heard of Mahado not being able to control his heka before, and this new revelation could not be good. I rubbed a solution of aloe vera onto Semni's arm. "This will need to be applied every day for a week, but with time, it will heal completely." I turned to Aramen. "Aramen, I must go find my husband, will you be so kind as to bandage Semni's arm?"

"Yes, Princess," Aramen dutifully replied, and I saw her give Semni a small smile, and the man flashed her a charming grin. _Perhaps this is just the man to put together the pieces that Karim left behind_, I thought to myself as I went in search of Mahado. Even though Karim had broken it to her as gently as he could, and I did my best to help ease the pain, she had been crushed, showing little interest in her lessons for weeks. Only recently did she seem to slowly be returning to her normal self.

As I walked down a corridor, I overhead Lord Serewakht say, "This has gone on for long enough, Mahado. Please, see the wisdom in my recommendation."

"These incidents were nothing-only small accidents as I'm trying to accustom myself to the Ring."

"Nevertheless, two incidents are two too many. I recommend that you seal away half of your power as soon as possible."

"Rest assured, Uncle, that is not necessary. I can handle the power of the Millennium Ring."

"But can you stop it from reacting with your extensive heka and turning your soul evil?" I felt a chill work its way under my skin. "Please, my nephew, for your own safety and for the safety of those around you, you must seal half of your power away in the Sacred Sanctuary of Thoth. I shall make arrangements for you to leave tomorrow."

"I tell you again, Uncle, that is not necessary!" Mahado said, his voice rising angrily. "I need every bit of my heka if I am to control the power of this Ring. It is proving to be more difficult than I anticipated. Sealing my heka away will only put those around me in greater danger."

"I know that it is a great sacrifice, Mahado," Serewakht said gently. "But for the good of Egypt, and for the sake of your soul you must do this. Otherwise, the Ring will use your heka to tear your soul apart, and it will turn you into a demon! I do not want that to happen to you."

"Rest assured, Uncle, I have the power under control."

"This stubbornness of yours will be your ruin, Mahado," Serewakht said ominously, but Mahado walked away, ignoring him.

He bumped into me. "Jani! What are you doing here? How is Semni?"

"He'll be fine; don't worry about him," I said, cupping his cheek with my hand. "But what's this I hear of you losing control of your heka? You've never had any trouble with your heka before! Why now?"

"I suspect it's because of the Millennium Ring," he said, frowning. "But rest assured, it won't happen again, my love."

I wanted with all my heart to believe him, but I couldn't shake the fear from my mind. "Just be extra careful these next few days, Mad, please."

He lightly kissed me. "I will. Now I must go and attend to Thoth in the temple. I will see you at dinner."

"Before you go, could you tell me what you were discussing with Lord Serewakht just now?"

"It's nothing, do not concern yourself with it," he replied shortly as he walked away.

I stared after him in confusion. I had heard every word, but for some reason, Mahado didn't want me to know about this exchange. It was obvious that he didn't want me to worry about his ability to control the power of the Ring. But this desire and this secrecy, combined with the revelation of the recent events, made me worry even more.

* * *

Seven days afterwards, the toll of the Millennium Ring became clearer on Mahado's face. Dark circles appeared under his eyes, and there was a gaunt look on his face.

I was reading a scroll in the lotus garden when Lord Serewakht said, "I must speak with you, Princess."

"Yes, Lord Serewakht? What is it?" I asked, setting the scroll aside.

"Surely you notice that Mahado is slowly deteriorating?"

"I've noticed that he's been looking a little pale, yes," I answered. "Is there something wrong?"

"His stubbornness is draining him of all his strength. If he continues like this, he will lose his soul to the darkness within the Ring."

I shivered. "The darkness in the Ring? Of what do you speak?"

He answered, "There is a dark force in the Millennium Ring, and it can react with powerful heka and turn that person evil. That is what I meant when I said that Mahado might need help and that the Ring might prove to be too much for him."

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked, trying to keep my hands from shaking.

"Princess, I beg of you, speak to your husband. Convince him that for his own sake, and for the sake of everyone around him, he must seal half of his power away within the Sacred Sanctuary. It is the only way to stay the grip of the evil residing within the Ring."

"Perhaps if I, too, sealed half of my power away, it will prompt him to do the same," I said. "We shall share the sacrifice, for the good of the kingdom."

"Yes, that might work," he answered slowly. He sadly shook his head. "I understand that Mahado greatly values his heka and that it is an important part of him. I know the feeling, and the pride with which he regards his abilities. But I, too, had to seal a part of my power away, in order to save myself."

"Is there no other way?"

"No; I've tried to search for one, and I know that Mahado is searching as we speak, but as far as I know, sealing away one's heka is the only way to keep one's soul out of the Ring's evil grasp. Please, Princess, for I'm sure that you do not want your husband to succumb to the darkness, as do I."

"Yes, you speak true, Lord Serewakht," I said. "In fact, we are due to walk along the river soon; I shall speak to him then."

"Good. You just may be the key to saving your husband from his pride and from this dark force," he said.

* * *

"Mad, are you feeling all right? You look pale and tired," I said casually during our walk. I knew the subject of sealing away his heka was a delicate one, and I was trying to figure out a gentle way to bring up the subject.

He smiled wearily. "I'm fine; I've just been staying up late doing some research."

"Concerning what?" I asked.

"Just some advanced spells that will hopefully help me control the power of the Ring," he answered.

"There haven't been any other incidents, have there?" I asked worriedly.

"No! Rest assured, Jani, I have been extra careful with my spells. In fact, I've refrained from performing the more advanced battle spells until I have found a better way to control the Ring's power."

"Mad," I said softly, bringing myself closer to him. "Perhaps there may be no other way except to seal away your heka."

"I'm sure that there is another way to control the Millennium Ring; I just need to find it."

"Serewakht said that he has been searching for years for another solution, and he has found none. If you do not know this, he also had to seal away a part of his power."

He looked away from me. "My heka is an important part of who I am, Jani. If I cannot use it to protect Egypt and the Pharaoh, what use will I be to the kingdom?"

"You don't have to seal all of your power away," I said gently. "If it will make you feel any better, I will also seal away half of my power with yours; we shall bear the burden of the sacrifice together."

"I don't want you to give up your great power for my sake, Jani. That wouldn't be fair to you to limit your powers like that."

"But if it will convince you that it's for the good of Egypt, then it will be worth it."

"Jani, please, let's not talk about this. I have told my uncle that I will not seal away my power, and that still stands, no matter how hard you try to convince me otherwise," he said sternly.

"Mad, your own soul is at stake!" I burst in impatience. "This is not just a matter of your pride, but your own sanity! I will not lose you to the darkness of this new Item!"

"And you will not, my love!" he swore vehemently, taking my hands in both of his. "Trust me when I say that there is another way besides sealing away my power!"

As I looked into his eyes, I thought I saw a dark shadow in their depths. _What if the darkness is already taking a hold of him?_ I thought fearfully.

"Lord Serewakht has already told you there is not!" I cried. "And I believe him! He has spent years searching, and is more experienced than you when it comes to this. I think it is your duty to him to follow his recommendations."

"And I think that it is your duty to stay to your own affairs and leave this to me!" he angrily responded. "This is my burden to deal with, Jani. I do not want you meddling."

"You don't want me _meddling_?" I snapped. "This is just as much of my affair as it is yours, Mad! You are my husband, and I care about your well-being! And I care for the well-being of the others of this court and Egypt! If there is a danger to the country, then it is every bit my affair!"

"This is my own personal business, Jani, and rest assured, the kingdom is in good hands! I would never betray my vow and endanger this country!"

"You already are!" I shouted. My chest heaving, I took a deep breath, before continuing in a lower voice, "Your refusal to do this simple task is endangering all of us, Mad, especially yourself!"

"This is no simple petty task that my uncle asks of me!" he yelled back, turning his back to me.

"If you won't do it for even your own safety," I said shakily. "Will you at least do it for me?"

He turned toward me, his anger dissolving. "If you would ask any other thing of me, my love, I would do it in an instant. But this is too much to ask."

"By Aset," I hotly swore, "I wish that the Seven Hathors had chosen someone else for the Millennium Ring! I don't doubt that I will lose you to the shadows residing in that foul thing around your neck if you won't do this!" He moved to embrace me, but I was too upset to do anything but turn around and run back to the palace.

* * *

_Through the swirls of shadows I see my husband, looking very much like a lost, scared little boy. There's evil laughter surrounding him. _

_"No… stay back," he whispers, chanting a spell. The spikes of the Ring dig themselves into his skin, and he groans in pain. _

_A big creature appears and captures him into its grasp, saying, "There is no use resisting. You are mine now…" I watch in horror as his eyes turn to obsidian and his skin turns gray…_

I woke with a start, whimpering, "Mad!" Seeing a shaft of silver on the bed, I sat up and hugged my knees. Senupi raised his head and looked at me questioningly. "It was only a dream, Senupi," I said, stroking his silky head. I sighed as I recalled our argument.

After I had stormed from him by the river, I had not seen Mahado for the remainder of the night. He had disappeared into the library, calling for a servant to serve him his meal in the chamber he was occupying while he served in the Temple of Thoth. After some contemplation, I now better understood his reluctance at sealing half of his power away. He had always been extremely proud of his magical abilities, and was very passionate about sorcery. I recalled that before we turned seven, he talked incessantly about when he would become a great magician, just like his uncle, whom he had idolized for all this time. To him, sealing away a part of his heka was like sealing away a part of his spirit; it would be like someone asking me to never make another glass bead.

"Perhaps I should go and apologize, Senupi. After all, it's not easy for him, having to deal with this new power, and being asked to sacrifice a part of his heka in the process." Senupi licked my face. I looked at the hourglass. _Perhaps it's too late in the night… but I'll go and check on him. It couldn't hurt to try._ Grabbing a robe to keep me warm in the cold night air, I slowly glided out of the bedchamber, with Senupi trotting faithfully at my heels.

As I approached his room, I saw the glow of a burning oil lamp. There was Mahado, huddled over a scroll at his desk. He seemed so engrossed in its contents that he didn't even hear me approach, and started when I laid a hand on his shoulder. I noticed that his meal was only half-eaten, and the rings under his eyes were even darker. "Jani! What are you doing here at this hour of the night?"

"I couldn't sleep, and so I came here to apologize," I said, hiding my shock at his appearance. "Might I ask why you are still up reading? And why haven't you eaten your meal?" I looked down to the scroll that he was reading, and saw that it was a scroll about exorcisms for evil spirits. "Why are you reading about exorcisms?"

He hastily rolled up the scroll. "I wasn't very hungry, Jani. And this scroll is just a part of my research. I was having trouble sleeping, and so I figured that I might as well make myself useful."

I shuddered. "You can't be very useful if you don't eat and sleep, my love. How long have you been going on like this?"

"I have had trouble sleeping ever since the first accident occurred," he admitted. "Most nights I've been tossing and turning for hours, and when I do finally fall asleep, it's full of fitful dreams, as if I'm neither awake nor asleep."

I gasped. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? You know of my healing abilities, why didn't you come to me for help?"

He averted his gaze. "I didn't want to worry you; I thought I had things under control."

"I'm your wife, Mad. Worrying about you when you're struggling comes with the role," I said in a half-jest. "It's just like how you've become more protective of me since we've married."

He smiled feebly, and then yawned. "I suppose that's true. Forgive me, Jani. I suppose my man-pride has kept me from coming to you, which would have been the wiser thing to do."

"Indeed," I said, placing my hands on my hips. "Well now, the wise thing for you to do would be to get some sleep. I am not making a request of you. To bed with you, Mad."

"I shall do as you say," he said sleepily. He changed into a sleeping kilt, and settled into bed.

I tucked him in like a child and kissed him lovingly. "May you sleep well, my love," I whispered.

"I shall sleep even better when the month is over," he replied, quickly succumbing to slumber. I waited until he let out a huge sigh before blowing out the lamp.

* * *

_Mahado's skin is even grayer, and his eyes are pure black now. From his mouth the same great creature comes forth, saying, "The more you try to resist me, the stronger I become. Your strength shall drain from you like water, and my power will grow tenfold as it does. So relinquish your soul to me."_

"_No, I will not!" he feebly replies. Then, in a strangled voice, he continues, "Jani… I need you… help me…" _

I bolted straight up, covered in cold sweat. This was the third night that I had such a dream. It seemed that Mahado's insomnia and sleeping troubles now infected me as well. I once again donned my robe, determined to put an end to this. Senupi drowsily stirred, and I murmured, "Stay in here, Senupi. I'll be fine."

I made my way to the herb storage area, and gathered some chamomile leaves. I heated some water and brewed a strong tea, adding other herbs to induce a peaceful slumber. I was just about to leave, when suddenly I realized that my concoction could perhaps help Mahado as well. I filled a second cup for him before making sure that I left behind no signs of my presence there.

I silently entered his room, only to find that he was sleeping. I turned to walk away when I heard him murmur, "No, stay away, you shall never possess my soul…" I felt my skin go cold.

A different, darker voice came next out of his mouth. "It's too late… I'm already in your soul… it's only a matter of time before you are entirely mine…"

Not wanting to hear anymore, I frantically shook him. "Mad! Mad! Wake up!"

His eyes flew open and he sat straight up, shaking. "Jani!" He hugged me. "Thank Thoth… it was only a dream."

"What did you dream of?" I asked fearfully.

"I… it's nothing," he said, letting out a long sigh. "The most important thing is that it was only a dream; it wasn't real."

I did not remind him that as a child, I had dreams that served as omens, such as the one of the snake. "I've come with some chamomile tea; it's supposed to help you sleep." I held out the steaming cup to him.

He took it from my hands and took a long sip. "Ah, that was just what I needed! Thank you, my love. Maybe now I can get the best sleep of the month." He lay back down, rested his head on his pillow, and closed his eyes. I softly stroked his hair until his breathing became deep and even. Convincing myself that the exchange I heard earlier was only a harmless dream, I returned to my bedchamber, took the tea, and asleep. But the dreams still came.

* * *

"So how is being the Guardian of the Millennium Necklace treating you, Isis?" I asked as we restocked the inventory of herbs. She had taken a break from her scrying fire to help me with the task.

"It's going well," she happily replied. "I'm glad to finally be free of my aunt's lectures. Thank goodness she's chosen to retire to the Temple of Aset and has left me here to my own devices!"

"You didn't have any trouble with your heka when you first put on the Necklace, did you?" I asked curiously.

"No, I didn't," she bewilderedly answered. "Why do you ask?"

"In case you haven't heard, Mahado has been having trouble controlling his heka, and he blames the Ring for it."

"He has been looking a little unwell lately, and he has been complaining of not being able to sleep well," Isis said. "But exactly why he, of all people, would be having trouble with his heka and adjusting to the power of his Item is beyond me. Karim and I have had no trouble whatsoever. Surely he shouldn't."

"That's what I thought too, and that is why this is worrying me so much. Serewakht mentioned something about the darkness residing within the Millennium Ring…"

"The darkness residing within the Millennium Ring?" Isis repeated. "But these Items were created to restore peace and uphold justice! How can there be a dark force residing in such an Item?"

"I don't know, but I fear for Mad's soul," I confided. "Lord Serewakht has asked him to seal away half of his power for his own safety, but he remains stubborn and refuses to do so! Serewakht has said that if he won't do it, then his soul will be consumed by the darkness! And last night, I witnessed something that I fear is proof of the darkness beginning to take over his soul." I told her of what had transpired last night.

She clapped her hand to her mouth in shock. "Have you told Lord Serewakht of this?"

"No, I have not; I thought that it was only a harmless dream," I replied, still wishing it to be true.

"Jani, you must tell him as soon as possible. It may be of the utmost importance!"

"Let's wrap up here, and then I'll go and find him," I replied.

Just then, Karim came running into the room. "Jasana, you must come quickly! It's Mahado!"

I rose to my feet immediately. "Oh Ra, what's happened? Has he lost control again?"

He nodded grimly. "Only this time, he has lost complete control, and the darkness in the Ring is taking hold quickly. You must come, for you may be the only one that can save him. If you cannot, then his life will be forfeit!"

Isis and I wordlessly looked at each other in horror before following Karim at the run. "Where is he?"

"In the throne room. Everyone's been safely evacuated, but his heka is growing more powerful moment by moment. Master Serewakht has managed to keep him contained to the throne room, but his strength can only hold out for so long; you should know that the reason he retired and relinquished the Millennium Ring to Mahado is because his strength is slowly deteriorating. I'm afraid he only bought enough time for me to come find you."

As we neared the throne room, I heard a strange rustling, which soon became a loud roar. Atem was cowering by Father's side, and the other Guardians were talking quietly amongst themselves. Lord Serewakht was there.

"Thank goodness you've come!" he said. "There's not a moment to spare. Listen carefully; the darkness within the Ring's grasp has now taken control of your husband, and its grasp grows stronger with each passing second. But there is hope yet; somewhere in there, the real Mahado lives. Somehow you must bring this out, and use your power to help conquer the darkness. It's the only way to save him."

"But… I don't know anything about the Ring's power. What if I can't defeat it?" I asked.

Seto approached Serewakht's side, his icy eyes piercing mine as he said harshly, "If you cannot, Princess Jasana, then there is nothing else to do but to kill him, for the safety of the kingdom. If you cannot defeat the darkness, then you must put an end to it."

"But that's impossible! I can't kill my own husband!" I cried. "I'll save him."

Shimon and the others stepped forward. "You may need all of our heka combined with yours in order to bring him down, Jasana." Isis, Karim, Shimon, Seto, Akhnadin, Father, and I stood in a circle and joined hands. I felt my heka surge as I absorbed theirs. "With your help, I will bring my husband back…hopefully," I said.

"Come, this way," Serewakht said, leading me inside. "You shall need my assistance as well."

"But Serewakht, what am I to do? How can I put an end to the darkness if you cannot?"

"You have a special bond with Mahado; I've sensed it all along, long before the two of you were married. Your souls are bound to each other in a way that can never be broken. You must call upon the strength of this bond to bring him back. And you are blessed by Aset; call upon her to help you. I can create a divergence that will allow you to approach him, but you don't have much time. I can only do so much. When you are ready, give me your word and we shall begin. Best of luck."

At that point, a dark voice called out from the throne room. "Relinquish the Items and return them to whence they came, and I shall release this man from my grasp. Continue to refuse, and I shall consume his soul before I activate the darkness in your own Items and consume your souls as well."

"We will never give up our Items, dark one!" Father angrily replied. Standing beside him, my uncle looked completely horrified.

"This is all my fault…." I heard him murmur under his breath. But nobody else seemed to pay him much mind.

I took a deep breath, and then exhaled. _Aset, O Mistress of Magic, hear my plea: please, grant me the strength and power to banish this darkness from my love's soul!_ "I'm ready," I said to Serewakht.

He nodded. "Stay right behind me, and cast a Shielding Charm to protect yourself. When I give you the command, approach your husband as quickly as possible."

I could feel my entire body trembling. "I-I shall do my best," I stammered.

"Best of luck, for your sake, your husband's and the country's," Seto solemnly said.

With that, Serewakht opened the door with his magic, and we all dodged as a large stone came flying out. I could see that Mahado was hovering above the ground surrounded in a gray cloud, and around him were five shadow creatures.

"He has summoned shadow creatures to protect himself. We must summon our kas and defeat them if we are to have any hope of rescuing him!" Serewakht shouted to me over the noise. He summoned his ka, Chaos Mage, and I called for Empress Witch.

"Fools, your meager kas are no match for my army. They shall be destroyed, and your lives and your souls shall fall to my reign."

"Dark One, whoever you may be, I beseech thee, release my husband!" I begged. "He has done nothing to deserve your wrath."

The voice coming from Mahado laughed. "Your cries are useless, woman," it said derisively. "And you have come too late to save your husband. His soul shall be the first to fall to me; the rest of you will follow in good time."

"You're wrong!" I stubbornly replied. "I know that somewhere in there the real Mad exists. Mad, if you can hear me, listen carefully! You have the power to get rid of this monster! There is no one in Egypt who is more powerful than you are, you can still save yourself, don't succumb to the darkness's grasp, I beg of you!"

"Silence!" the voice roared, and Mahado shot a bolt of lightning at me.

_This can't be happening…_ Before I could react, the lightning bolt collided with a shield. I looked over to Serewakht. "Thank you!" I consequently summoned a shield of my own.

"Your pleas are useless, Princess! We must defeat the creatures, and then it will be up to you to calm him down." Turning to his ka, he commanded, "Chaos Mage, attack with your Chaos Blast!" His ka did as he commanded, and sent a ball of black lightning to one of the monsters, destroying it.

"You'll pay for that!" the voice shrieked, and another one of the creatures swooped in, destroying the Chaos Mage and causing Serewakht to collapse to the ground.

"No! Lord Serewakht!" I cried, running to him.

"Defeat…the darkness…" he rasped. "That is…our…only hope…" Then he lost consciousness, and the whirlwind grew stronger, nearly sweeping me up in its clutches.

"Mad! Please!" I cried, fighting the tears gathering in my throat. "I do not want to fight you! And I most certainly do not want to kill you!"

"Leave this room, woman, and let your husband go," the dark voice said. "Or else you will soon follow the man at your feet and your friends as well."

"Not while I'm still standing!" I shouted. "Empress Witch, attack with Rain of Splendor!" My ka raised her hands, and a golden shower descended upon the monsters, which shrieked with pain. One of them dissolved, but it soon materialized.

"What? My attack had no effect!" I gasped.

"Your ka is no match for my army, and no you shall pay the same consequences as that weak man you call a mage!" One of the shadow monsters sent a dark blast at my ka. She dodged it. Another conjured a dark sword and slashed at her arm. I screamed as a cut materialized itself on my arm. "Now, my shadow creature, finish her off!" They all surrounded my ka.

"Duos! Attack!"

"Spiria, use your power!"

"Beaver Warrior, assist Isis!"

"Spirit Guardia, come forth!"

"Exodia, obliterate!"

Five kas came to my assistance, and I turned around to see Shimon, Isis, Karim, Seto, and Akhnadin standing behind me, their diadiankhs activated.

"We will distract the shadow army, which leaves you to approach Mahado!" Seto shouted to me. Their kas consequently drew the monsters away from my husband, who remained in the air. I inched my way against the powerful winds, and levitated to him. His skin was completely gray, and his eyes had turned to the color of obsidian, just as he had in my dreams. I cupped his face in both of my hands. "Mahado, my love, can you hear me?" I asked. "Break free of the darkness!"

For a moment the obsidian faded, leaving a trace of the familiar indigo in his irises. "Jani…" his familiar voice rasped. "Help me… I'm losing control… and this demon shall possess my soul…"

"Mad! Please, tell me what to do!"

"Call upon… the goddess… you must strike me with her power…."

"I can't attack you! What if I kill you?"

"You must… risk it… it's the only way…."

"Enough!" The dark voice regained control. "Begone, woman!" Mahado pushed me away and sent a blast in my direction. I cast a shielding charm, and then flew back to his side. I chanted a spell, and chains bound him.

"Forgive me, my love," I murmured as I placed both of my hands over his chest. Summoning all of my heka, along with that of the others, I called out as loud as I possibly could, "Great Mistress of Magic, Aset, I call upon thee, grace me with thy power and banish the darkness from this man's soul! I am but your instrument against this great evil, let me do your will!"

A great golden light poured from my hands into Mahado's chest, and as he screamed in agony, the cry seemed to tear right through me. The whirlwind dissolved, and the shadow creatures disappeared as we both lowered onto the ground. Much to my relief, his skin returned to its normal pallor, and his eyes became indigo once again.

Hardly anybody dared to move, and nobody spoke. I grasped his hands. "Mad? Are you all right?"

"Jani…" But in an instant, his eyes turned black again, and the dark voice roared, "Foolish woman! I warned you!" Mahado shot a dark blast at me, throwing me a good distance away and tossing me to the ground. Pain shot through every inch of my body, but it was nothing compared with my failure.

I choked on my tears, my vision swimming before me. "No… Mad… please…"

Suddenly, the room filled with a white light, and I saw a vague vast figure before me. She wore robes of gold, and shone with the brilliance of the sun, and her voice was like an overpowering song as she commanded, "Zorc, in the name of Re-Horakti, the Creator of Light, I command thee, be gone from this man's soul!"

The dark voice screamed in pain, declaring, "This isn't over! I shall return, and I shall be victorious in the end!" The voice screamed in pain, and then it became Mahado's voice screaming. As the light faded, the last thing I remember is Mahado running to me and tenderly cradling me in his arms, his choked voice murmuring, "Jani… oh Jani… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

* * *

**A/N: Priests took turns serving in the temple. During their time of service, they had to refrain from sexual intercourse and follow strict procedures of cleanliness. **

**Thanks for reading! And, as always, please leave a review! Next chapter will be out by the end of the week! **


	35. Healing the Wound

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh**

**Just FYI, be prepared for some mild steaminess at the end of this chapter, heeheehee...**

* * *

I felt a cool wet rag being pressed to my forehead. "Mad…" I whispered.

"Unfortunately, it's just me," I heard Karim say. His face blurrily appeared before me. I struggled to sit up, but he put a hand on my shoulder to stop me. "Do not overly exert yourself, Jasana. The battle took a great toll on your ba and your heka."

"Karim, is Mahado all right?" I worriedly asked. "Where is he?"

"Gone," I felt the tears start to my eyes, but then his expression lightened as he finished, "but he'll be back in five days, after he has completed the ritual to seal away half his heka."

I laughed in relief. "By the gods, Karim, don't scare me like that!"

He smiled. "Consider it payback for scaring all of us like that with your power. Even Seto was amazed that you could summon such a dazzling creature."

I looked at him in confusion. "But that wasn't me; I barely had any strength to even stay conscious after that last strike. I thought one of you had summoned that ka."

"No, you know that none of us have a ka named 'Re-Horakti', and you know that none of ours had strength of that magnitude. If it wasn't you, then who could have called upon the Creator of Light to come and expel the darkness?"

"I don't know, but I'm glad that she did; she saved us all," I replied. "What happened after I collapsed?"

"Well, the sight of you and Serewakht both lying unconscious brought Mahado to his senses, and he was badly shaken by all that had transpired. After he brought you here, he wasted no time in departing for the Sacred Sanctuary."

"Hopefully that will save him and prevent this horror from happening again. But what of Serewakht? How is he doing?"

"He's still alive, which is a miracle, considering that his ka was destroyed in the battle. But he has yet to awaken, and he is very weak. Lady Aseneit says that he does not have long to live."  
"I have to thank you and the others for coming to my aid when you did, otherwise my ka would have surely perished in the fight."

"You underestimate your own power; I'm sure that you would have been just fine. Your power is even greater than any of us anticipated, and now, with Mahado's power diminished, you are the most powerful one of us all. It's a wonder that one of the Items hasn't chosen you."

I shuddered. "I'm glad of it; I don't want anything to do with those evil Items."

"I don't think they are evil necessarily, but one can certainly use them for evil purposes. But they were designed specifically to uphold _ma'at_. You need not worry, Jasana. They are in safe hands with us."

"But how do I know that what happened to Mahado won't happen to you, Isis, or any of the others?"

He gently patted my hand. "You forget that we have had our Items longer than Mahado has had his, and we have had no trouble thus far. Have you noticed that Mahado had trouble almost from the very moment he put on the Ring?"

"Yes, but why would the Millennium Ring cause such trouble for him while yours gave you no trouble at all?"

Karim scratched his chin. "I haven't the slightest idea, I'm afraid."

* * *

"Has it been five days yet?" I asked impatiently. "I can't wait for Mad to return!" I moved a piece of senet on the board.

Karim shifted as he contemplated his next move. Senupi cunningly pushed a piece forward with his nose. Karim laughed and patted him on the back. "Why, thank you, Senupi; that's an excellent move! Perhaps I should just let you play for me."

I moved another piece, and then Senupi touched one with his nose, and Karim moved it, taking one of my pieces. "That's unfair," I laughed, "You have a dog to help you beat me. Senupi, you're supposed to be on my side!" He simply barked and licked Karim.

"It seems that he prefers me this time, Jasana," Karim said smugly.

"Anyway, when can I at least get out of bed and move around?"

"According to Lady Aseneit," Isis answered as she entered, "you can try getting out of bed tomorrow, but you should go at least seven days before you try tapping into your heka again in order to give it time to recuperate." She looked down at the board. "How is it that you're winning against Jasana, Karim? You've been having rather bad luck with this game lately, and Jasana is an exceptionally good player."

"Well, I have a little assistance," Karim said, smiling down at Senupi.

Isis smiled down at the dog and patted him on the head. "I thought you were supposed to be attending to the Temple of Hathor," I said.

"Not for another couple of hours or so, when it is time for the evening ritual," she replied. "So I thought I would come here to see how you are doing."

"How goes Aramen, Safira, and Meret's progress?" I had asked her to take over my job of teaching them while I was bedridden.

"Very good, considering that I have only taught them for a day. I know that in no time, you'll be back to your duties."

"Yes, I shall be glad to do so. It's been very dull these past two days, having to sit in bed with nothing to do, especially with Mahado gone."

"Why, have I proven to be so inadequate, Jasana? I'm offended," Karim joked.

"Not at all! You and Atem have made it bearable, but even with your entertainment I still don't like being stuck in bed. And I still miss Mad; I want to make sure that he's all right now."

Isis and Karim looked at each other, and then Isis said carefully, "Jasana, Mahado seemed to be extremely distraught after his ordeal. I doubt that he will have entirely recovered by the time he returns from the sanctuary…"

"We think it's best if you don't seek him out; give him time to reflect on his own and recover, and let him come to you," Karim finished for her.

"But why would he feel such guilt? It's not his fault in the first place!" I replied, bewildered at what they're saying. "And even if he feels so guilty, what should that have to do with me?"  
"I don't know, but believe me; it's best if you do as we say," Karim replied. "Let him come to you."

* * *

"Has there been any improvement in his condition?" I asked Lady Aseneit as I checked Lord Serewakht's pulse.

"No, he has been in a stable but weak condition for these past few days," Lady Aseneit replied. "The remainder of his heka is what has been keeping him miraculously alive for this long; his power is greatly immense."

"I see," I murmured. I wished that he would wake up so that I could speak to him about Mahado. He had returned, but I hadn't seen him at all, and doubt and anxiety were eating away at me. "You can attend to the others, Lady Aseneit. I shall stay here for a while and look after him."

Lady Aseneit nodded and swept from the room. I chanted a spell, hoping to revive him, but to no avail. I heard footsteps approach, and then hesitate at the threshold. I turned around, and seeing that it was Mahado, I beamed. "Mad! Thank goodness you've returned!" I sprang to my feet and started towards him.

"Don't come any closer!" he said sharply. I stopped in my tracks, perplexed. His stony expression softened into one of agony and pain. "It's for your own safety, Jani."

"But all of that is over, Mad. You are safe now." I moved closer to him.

"I must insist!" he said firmly, stepping back. "I came to ask after my uncle; how is he?"

"He has yet to awaken, I'm afraid. His condition is stable, but he is very weak. It's a miracle that he has remained alive for this long, because his ka was destroyed in the battle."

"Your ka wasn't attacked in the battle, was it?" he asked anxiously.

"It was, but Karim, Isis, Shimon, Uncle Akhnadin, and Seto came to my assistance," I answered, still confused by his distance. Seeing the anguish on his face, I said softly, "Mad, you mustn't blame yourself for what happened; it wasn't your fault."

"It was," he replied. "It was my pride that prevented me from sealing away my power, and my stubbornness that caused me to succumb to the shadows. None of this would have happened if I had just listened to my uncle in the first place and sealed half of my power away. I'm never using magic again."

"You don't mean that; the magic means too much to you for you to simply let it wither away," I murmured.

"Before I can trust myself to use my heka again, I must go to the Temple of Thoth and undergo an atonement ritual to ask for the god's forgiveness. It will take ten days."

"But there's nothing to forgive, Mad!"

"But there is, my love." My heart wrenched seeing the guilt in his face. "And before I can bring myself to do so much as to touch you, I must be free of my sin. Forgive me, but it is better this way, trust me." With that, he turned around and walked away.

"Mad!" I cried, reaching my hand out to beckon him back. He paused, but then continued on his way, not even turning his head around to look at me. Tears filled my eyes and streamed down my face. _O Aset_, I prayed in agony, _why did you return his body to me but not his heart? _

* * *

I refused to join the party in the banquet hall that night; I was in no mood for festivity. I sat in my bed, gazing at a frozen image of Mahado and me. Suddenly, Senupi barked, bringing me out of my reverie. Atem stood at the doorway.

"Sister? Why are you not at the banquet? I've brought you some duck soup; Father said that I can eat here with you tonight."

"I don't really feel up for it," I said forlornly. "And that is most kind of you, Atem. Come, we'll eat in the anteroom."

As we ate, Atem, having sensed the cause of my sadness, patted my hand and said, "Don't feel bad about Mahado's strange behavior, Jani. He has been distant with everyone. I believe you are the only one he has uttered more than a few words to; he won't even talk to me!"

"Don't you find it disturbing, Atem?" I asked. "What's the point of having rescued him if he will never be the same again?"

"Oh, I'm sure that he will, once he has undergone the ritual at the temple. You just need to give him time, and I'm sure that this will all blow over." He pulled me into a hug. "Have faith, Jani. After all, you managed to bring him back to us; there had to be some reason Aset was with you that day. The love between the two of you is too strong to be broken by something trivial such as this."

I didn't think that an ordeal in which I nearly lost Mahado and he nearly lost his soul counted as something trivial, but I hoped with all my heart that Atem was right.

* * *

When I awoke the next morning, I found another white lotus blossom on the table by my bedside. I felt a small flutter of hope in my heart. _Mahado was here? But why didn't he wake me?_ I now vaguely recalled a hand cupping my cheek for a brief moment, but I had dismissed it as a wishful dream. There was a piece of papyrus next to the bowl, and I snatched it up, hungrily reading the words.

_Dearest Jani, _

_Forgive my seeming coldness to you. But I nearly lost you, and even worse, it was all my doing. I cannot let such a thing happen again. That is why I have been staying away from you, my love. However, rest assured that my love for you remains unchanged. Once I have fulfilled my duty to Thoth and completed the ritual, which will take ten days, I shall return to your arms, with hope that you will still have me after all that has happened. _

_Forever yours, with all my love,  
Mad_

My heart swelled with hope. _At least he says he will return, we will still have the chance to restore the life we had together,_ I thought to myself. _And when he returns, his duty to Thoth will be fulfilled, and he will return to my bed again._

Feeling revived, I went about my duties with more energy than usual. As I checked on Lord Serewakht, I noticed that his eyes were open. "Lord Serewakht! You've returned to us!" I said happily.

"But I can only hold on for so long," he whispered weakly. "Where's Mahado? Is he all right?"

"Yes, we succeeded in expelling the darkness from his soul, and he has sealed half of his power away, as you told him to."

Relief flooded his face. "Good… that is good… I knew that if anyone could do it, you could, Princess."

"I had a little help from Karim, Isis, Shimon, Seto, Uncle Akhnadin, and Aset," I replied sheepishly. "And from you, of course."

"Now that half of his power is safely sealed, his soul should be safe…" he succumbed to a coughing fit.

I held a concoction of herbs to his lips. "This will help restore your strength, Lord Serewakht," I said.

He drank. "I'm afraid it will be of no use," he rasped. "My life is nearing its end. But I must speak with my nephew one last time before I go…"

"He has gone to seek Thoth's forgiveness," I said. "He will be gone for ten days."

"I suppose I can wait that long, but once he returns, please see to it that he immediately comes to me."

"I will see it done," I obediently replied. After a pause, I said hesitantly, "Lord Serewakht… Mahado hasn't been himself since we expelled the darkness from his soul. He has been distant from me and everyone else."

"You know… that Mahado has always been a sensitive person… he lets any guilt overwhelm him…But I know that in time… he will be back to his old beloved self," he said, covering my hand with his. "I knew that with your love… you were the only one who could save him…When the other Guardians were discussing how to handle this problem… I recalled my sister's words… what she had always told me since we were children. Love is truly the greatest magic there is… Remember this, Princess… this will carry you through whatever ordeals lay ahead. And believe me, there will be more ordeals to come."

I nodded my head. "I shall take your words to heart, Lord Serewakht. Now, if you will excuse me, I shall find Lady Aseneit and tell her that you have awakened; she will want to attend to you herself."

"That would be most kind of her," he whispered. As I left him, he drifted back into sleep.

* * *

"He's fading fast, Princess!" Lady Aseneit cried, frantically chanting a spell.

I grasped Serewakht's hand. "Just hold on, Lord Serewakht. Mahado is due to come back from the temple soon."

"Thank Thoth…" he whispered. After managing to hold on for all this time, his life force was waning quickly.

_O Aset, Great Mistress of Magic, you who have graced this man with your power for so many years, please preserve him long enough to grant him his last wish_, I prayed.

A servant entered and bowed to us. "Princess, Lady Aseneit, and Lord Serewakht, Mahado has just arrived at the stable; he is coming as we speak."

"Thank Aset," I muttered as I rose to my feet. "I shall leave the two of you to talk in private. Lord Serewakht, should you breathe your last before we get a chance to see each other again, I have greatly valued your wisdom and I thank you for all your tutelage through all these years."

He smiled and fondly grasped my hand. "May Thoth smile upon you and Mahado and bless your life together, Princess. It has been an honor."

* * *

I noticed that the atmosphere of the banquet hall was quieter and more subdued than usual. "What is going on?" I asked Karim as I filled his cup.

"Lord Serewakht passed away not too long ago," he answered.

I silently said a prayer for the passing of his soul. "I hope that he had a chance to say all he wished to say to Mahado."

"I believe he did," Karim said assuringly.

Suddenly realizing what this meant, I stood up. "Mahado will need me to comfort him!"

He grabbed my arm. "Let him mourn in peace. Remember what I said, Jasana, let him come to you."

"But you didn't take into consideration Lord Serewakht's death!" I argued. "Mahado loved him like a father! He will be devastated!"

"If he is, then he will come to you tonight," he said steadily. "I will go and speak with him. If he feels like it, he will come to you. If he does not, then he will not. Be patient, Jasana, and let things take their course as they should."

So Karim disappeared from the hall with a tray of food, a task that I should have done myself. I retired early from the banquet hall to my bedchamber, and waited for Mahado to come to me.

But hour after hour passed, and he still did not come. When it became apparent that he would not, I began to weep into my pillow. _Oh Aset, what have I done to lose him? Why did this have to happen?_ I heaved sob after sob, and Senupi tried in vain to cheer me up by licking my face. Cuddling up with him, I eventually fell asleep.

* * *

By the next afternoon, I still had not seen him. My impatience finally got the better of me. I didn't care if Karim thought himself to be right in this situation; Mahado needed me, and I needed to see him. I went to seek him in his chamber, only to find it empty. "You there!" I called to a servant. "Can you tell me where Lord Mahado is?"

"He went for a ride this morning, Princess," the servant answered, "and has not been seen since."

"Thank you," I said, dismissing the servant. I could easily guess where Mahado had gone; most likely he had gone to our oasis to mourn there. If that was the case, then he certainly sought solitude, and Karim was right after all, as usual.

I made my way to the stable, hoping that Nephthys would soothe my anxiety. I encountered Isis saddling up her horse. She turned to me and smiled. "Ah, Jasana! You are just in time to accompany me for a ride along the Nile."

I smiled. "I would like that, Isis. Wait for me." She waited as I quickly saddled and bridled Nephthys, and before long we were on our way.

"Have you seen Mahado yet?" she asked me.

I shook my head. "I haven't seen him since before he left for the Temple of Thoth."

"That long?" she asked in surprise.

I sighed. "Yes; he was so distant, even with me! He wouldn't come anywhere near me, let alone embrace me and kiss me. That is so unlike him. And, oh Isis, it pained me so much to see the guilt and anguish on his face."

"That was how he was like with everyone in general before he left," Isis said gently.

"Yes, that is what Atem told me, but that hardly helps," I replied shortly.

She shook her head. "And now Serewakht has passed… I wonder how he will take it, having just survived that last ordeal."

"Which is why he needs me by his side to help him get through this!" I said impatiently. "I don't see the reason in Karim's suggestion to wait for him to come to me!"

"I don't fully understand it either, Jasana, but Karim always has reason in mind when he gives his suggestions. Trust him this time, just as you have always trusted him."

I sighed. "Well, I'm hoping that Mahado will be back from his ride before we are done."

"Do you know where he is?"

"I suspect that he is at our oasis," I answered, letting my gaze drift in that direction, hoping to spot him and Bata returning to the palace. But alas, all I could see was the golden sand.

"I'm sure that he will return soon," Isis said soothingly.

We waited and rode for hours, until Ra was getting ready to descend into the west, before we had to admit that we had waited too long. We handed our horses to the grooms before changing for the evening banquet. I took greater care with my appearance in case Mahado should appear; I wanted to look my best for him. Yet he still did not show up, even though I kept my eyes peeled for him.

I kept the oil lamp glowing late into the night, waiting for him. I had undressed, pulling on the same beaded net that I had worn on our wedding night, hoping to invoke the same passion that we had shared when he finally came to me. His month of duty was now over. _Surely, surely tonight he will come_, I thought desperately. _After all, he must miss me as much as I miss him. _

I glanced at the water clock, and was just about to lean over and blow out the lamp when I caught sight of a shadow on the threshold. My heart leapt with joy, but that joy soon dissipated when I saw that Mahado's face was streaked with tears. "Jani…" he murmured, his voice choked with tears.

I could see that he was in no mood for lovemaking. I silently held my arms out to him, beckoning him to come to me. He removed his headdress and the Millennium Ring and laid them on the table before he threw himself into my arms. He laid his head on my bosom and began to sob.

"Shh… there, there, my love," I crooned softly, running my fingers through his hair. "It's all right, just let it all out… I'm here for you."

"My uncle… is d-dead," he said as he cried, "and it's all b-because… of me…"

"You mustn't say that," I replied gently. "His health was already declining when he passed the Ring onto you. He did everything he could to save you from the darkness, and his death is not your fault. None of what happened was your fault, so forgive yourself just as everyone else has forgiven you, especially me…"

He didn't say another word, and I cradled his head in my arms as if he was a child as he cried himself to sleep.

* * *

My eyelids fluttered open to see Ra's rays streaming into the room. _What time is it?_ I wondered as I yawned. Mahado was still fast asleep, his head on my chest where he had laid it the night before. I saw a scrap of papyrus on the table, and I reached over with one arm to grab it.

_Jasana,_

_You and Mahado are excused from your duties today, to catch up and to let Mahado grieve. If you feel up to it, you may attend to them, but that is not necessary. Someone else will attend to them for you. _

_-Father_

I sighed with relief. If we still had to attend to our duties, then we would have been late, judging by the amount of sunshine streaming into the room. I looked down at Mahado. The kohl around his eyes had smudged, but the anguish and guilt had dissolved from his face, and he looked as peaceful as a child. I gently tightened my grip on him, as if I was afraid that he would disappear at any moment. He had finally returned to me, and I was perfectly content to hold him as he slept; it seemed an eternity since I had held him in my arms, even though it had only been since before the ordeal. But then, that was fifteen long days before.

He stirred sleepily and rolled off me. Stretching his arms out and yawning, he slowly opened his eyes, and seemed surprised to see me. "Jani…" he whispered.

I leaned over and lightly kissed him. "Good morning, my love," I murmured. "Sleep all you wish; you are excused from your duties today."

"But I must…attend to the Pharaoh…" he said, trying to rub the sleep from his eyes.

"Mad, you are clearly exhausted and in no condition to attend to your duties today," I said. "You may attend to them in the afternoon, but only after you've had a decent bath and something to eat. By the looks of you, and the smell, you could really use some freshening up."

He smiled, looking abashed. "Perhaps I should have considered bathing before I came to you. I could see that you weren't quite prepared to see some bedraggled, filthy man into your bed."

I laughed softly, cupping his cheek with my hand. "I would have taken you even if you were covered in mud," I replied. "Finally you have returned to me, and not a moment too soon. Where were you last night? I waited for you, and you never came to me."

"I'm sorry," he said, seeing the hurt on my face. "I didn't sleep at all last night, so I meditated in the temple, hoping to ease my grief over my uncle's death. That brought me no peace, and so I saddled Bata, and went to the oasis. I spent all of yesterday there, and I found a small measure of peace. Suddenly, I recalled the last time I was there, which was with you, and then I longed to see you, to hold you once again. Realizing that my month of duty was over, I hurried to return to you. Yet, upon stepping on your threshold, grief and guilt seemed to overwhelm me, and I couldn't help the tears."

"I'm glad that you let them all out, instead of holding them all in," I said, sliding closer to wrap my arms around him.

He buried his face into my neck. "You have no idea how glad I am that you welcomed me back with open arms. For a moment, I was afraid that you would spurn me, after all that has happened."

I kissed him with a burning hunger, and he returned it with equal passion. "Does that reassure you?" I asked huskily. "I could never shun you! I've missed you this past month!"

"And I you, my love," he murmured into my hair. Inhaling deeply, he said, "You smell so clean and fresh! While I'm absolutely filthy." He rolled out of bed, and then picked me up. "Come, I'm going to the baths; I want to return to you as clean and fresh as you are."

I looped my arms around his neck. "I'm coming with you, and I shall attend to you myself." Mischievously trailing my fingers up his chest, I finished, "It will be the best bath you've ever had."

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" he said impatiently, swooping up a robe to cover my nakedness and consequently carrying me to the baths.

* * *

"Ohhhhh, that hits the spot, Jani," he moaned. I smirked as I felt his back muscles quiver with pleasure under my touch. I sensually rubbed lotus oil into his scalp, moving my fingers in slow circles and planting soft, feathery kisses at the nape of his neck. His moans became louder and he tried to turn around, but I firmly placed my hands on his shoulders. "You'll have to wait till I'm done with you, Mad," I whispered seductively as I licked his earlobe.

"Just hurry up," he pleaded, "for I want my turn with you."

"Your turn?" I laughed.

"Yes, for I intend to return the favor," he said naughtily, "whether you want it or not." He forcibly turned around at that, and grabbing a jar of jasmine oil, switched places with me. His strong hands began to massage my shoulders and move lower down my back, his lips preceding the entire length down my back.

I closed my eyes in pleasure at the sensation. His hands snaked around to massage my abdomen, and they slowly inched up until they cupped my breasts, my nipples immediately hardening under his touch. He pulled me close against him and nibbled along the length of my neck to my shoulder. "Ohhhh… Maaaaad…" I moaned, leaning my head back and reveling in pleasure, feeling my desire rise.

"I think it's sexy when you say my name like that," he murmured as he slowly and deliberately continued his seductive caresses. Finally, when I couldn't bear it anymore, I turned around and pummeled him with kisses, wrapping my legs around him and straddling him.

"I told you this will be the best bath you've ever had," I murmured, moving my hands to below the water.

"And the same for you, Jani," he replied as he pressed me against the edge of the tub.

After we had spent ourselves, we luxuriated in the hot water, wrapped in each other's arms. As our breathing returned to normal, I studied his face; he appeared to be deep in serious thought. "What could you possibly be contemplating so seriously, Mad?" I teased. "Was it not to your liking just now?"

He smiled and pulled me closer to him. Kissing me on the forehead, he replied, "It was even better than I thought it would be," he replied. But his thoughtful expression returned as he said, "But a thought just occurred to me: you know that heka is neither created nor destroyed, but simply changes forms. Whatever power the Millennium Items have must have been harnessed from an incredible source. I'm determined to find this source; for if there is darkness residing within the Ring, there could be darkness residing in the other Items as well. If I can discover the origin of the Items, I just may be able to find a way to stay the darkness in these Items and protect the other Guardians."

"That is a noble endeavor," I said, kissing him. But something told me that it wouldn't be an easy task. I realized that he was right; whatever power the Items had must have been taken from a source, but exactly what could have given the Millennium Items such power?

* * *

**Thanks so much for reading! And please leave a review too! As of tomorrow (well, technically today), I am on Spring Break! And I'll be on vacation too. So I may or may not be able to update, depends on if I have Internet access. Most likely I will, so I will keep the updates coming! But I'm definitely taking a break from writing for the week; hopefully this will let my updates catch up with the chapters I have finished. Please leave a review too! :)**


	36. The Truth About the Millennium Items

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh**

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* * *

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"Now, ladies, you shall engage in a mock battle to strengthen your ba. Rest assured, this battle is completely safe; the kas that you summon will only have enough strength to slightly weaken your ba, but not to the extent that it will cause you serious injury," Shimon said. He handed both of us diadiankhs. "You each will have three stone tablets, as well as your natural kas. Whoever destroys all three stone tablets first wins."

Isis smiled at me. "This will be a most interesting match, Jasana."

"Indeed," I replied, letting the wings of my diadiankh unfurl. "Let us see which one of us is the superior one in the shadow games."

"Begin!" Shimon commanded.

"Goddess of Reversal (1), I bid thee come forth!" I called. Immediately a green fairy appeared on the stone and emerged from the tablet.

"Spiria, come hither!" Isis's ka appeared. "Attack with your Rainbow Beam!" A multicolored beam shot from her ka's hands.

"Goddess, activate your Reversal Spell!" My monster did its bidding, forming a circular vortex with her arms which redirected Spiria's attack back at her.

Isis winced as Spiria got hit with the force of her own attack. "Mystical Elf, I summon thee!" One of her tablets began to glow, and a blue-skinned woman emerged. "Restore Spiria's strength!" The woman chanted a spell, and Spiria's injuries disappeared.

"She won't be standing there for long!" I replied, activating another one of my tablets. "Aqua Madoor, I call upon thee! Come forth and lend me thy power!" The second of my three tablets activated, and a turquoise-haired masked creature came forth. "Attack the Mystical Elf with your Spell of the Ocean!" A silver beam shot from his hands.

"Spiria Shield, activate!" Isis cried. Her shield negated my attack.

"It seems the two of you are quite evenly matched!" Shada called out.

"Not for long!" I replied, casting a spell that rendered Isis's monsters defenses useless. "Now, Aqua Madoor, let's try this again! Attack the Mystical Elf!" The stone tablet shattered under the force of his attack.

Isis gasped and staggered backwards, and then her face hardened with determination. "That was a nice one, Jasana, but you won't be able to rely on that trick again! Winged Guardian of the Fortress, I summon thee!" A blue dragon appeared. "Use your Fire Blast to take out her Goddess of Reversal!" A fireball erupted from his mouth and headed straight for my monster.

"Goddess, dodge it!" She leaped out of the way, but the fireball made a graceful arc and consumed her, destroying one of my stone tablets. "That was impressive, Isis, but this isn't over yet! Fire Princess, it is your turn! I summon thee!" A flaxen-haired sorceress materialized beside me. "Attack the Guardian and avenge the Goddess of Reversal!" A stream of fire ejected from her hands.

"Not so fast!" Isis cried, chanting a spell. "Negate attack!" The stream of fire disappeared, leaving her dragon unharmed. She consequently chanted another spell, calling out, "I now cast the Swords of Revealing Light on your monsters!" Golden swords pinned my monsters to their respective tablets.

"What's this? They can't move!"

"Exactly; my swords render your monsters powerless for three turns, which gives me three opportunities to attack you and wipe them out. Now, Guardian of the Fortress, take out her Fire Princess!" The fireball eliminated my sorceress, causing the second of my tablets to shatter.

"Now Isis is in the lead!" Shimon declared.

"And now it's time to seal the victory. Guardian, attack her Aqua Madoor!"

"Hold it right there! You activated my trap, De-Spell! It removes all magic spells that you have cast." The golden swords disappeared. "Now, Aqua Madoor, defend yourself with your Wall of Water!" My mage conjured a wall of water, which absorbed the fireball from the Winged Guardian of the Fortress. I summoned forth my ka, Empress Witch. "Now, Empress Witch, attack the Winged Guardian of the Fortress with your Spell of Sunshine!" A great golden light emitted from my ka's hands, and it overwhelmed the dragon. The second of Isis's tablets was destroyed.

"Incredible, we now have a tie!" Shimon said. "Whoever can destroy the other's last tablet first will be the victor!"

Both Isis and I were now panting from the exertion of the battle. "Now I summon my last creature, St. Joan!" A woman in shining silver armor manifested itself on the tablet. "Attack her mage!"

"You underestimate my creature's defensive power!" I cried. "Aqua Madoor, defend yourself!"

"I activate my trap, the Sword and Shield!" Isis proceeded to quickly chant a spell. "This will replace your monster's defensive ability with its attack ability, thus weakening it." The wall of water that my monster had conjured thinned substantially, much to my astonishment. "St. Joan, finish your attack with your Sword of Righteousness!" With a slash of the sword, her creature slashed through my last stone tablet, thus destroying Aqua Madoor and defeating me.

I fell to my knees, panting for breath.

"Very well done, Isis!" Karim praised. Isis bowed her head modestly, a slight blush tinting her cheeks as she reached out her hand to help me up.

"That was remarkable on your part," I added. "I would have never anticipated that last spell. That was a stroke of genius!"

I hope you're all right; I didn't mean to hit you that hard," she said apologetically.

"I'll be fine, after I've had a good night's rest," I said.

"All right, who shall be next? Seto, how about you?"

Seto stepped forward. "I was hoping to challenge Mahado to a duel, but since he is not here, I guess I will have to make do with you, Karim," he challenged, pointing his finger at him. He then turned towards me. "You put up an admirable fight, Princess Jasana, and your skills have improved greatly, Isis."

Isis politely inclined her head, and I did the same. "Now we shall have the honor of observing your skills, Seto," I said.

"I promise it shall be a spectacle worthy of your presence," he replied.

"I hope Karim crushes him to a pulp!" Isis whispered to me. "He is unbearably arrogant when it comes to the shadow games."

"You only want him to win because he complimented you," I teased. "I saw that blush on your cheeks when he praised you."

"Nonsense; I just want him to win because we both know that he is the nobler of the two," Isis said, the blush returning to her cheeks.

"Don't lie to me," I said. "We wish you the best of luck, Karim!" I impulsively called out. "But Isis wishes you the most luck of all!"

"Jasana!" Isis whispered embarrassingly, clapping a hand over my mouth.

Karim smiled and flashed a charming wink in our direction as he unfurled his diadiankh. "Surely with the well wishes of you two lovely ladies, I shall be victorious!"

"We'll see about that; you'll need way more than the wishes of those two women if you want to beat me!" Seto said, activating his diadiankh. "La Jinn, come forth!"

"I call upon thee, Curse of Dragon!" Karim shouted. "Diaha!"

"Actually, I wish for Karim to win as well," I said privately to Isis. "Seto has been winning way too often lately."

"I suspect that he wanted to face off against Mahado to exact some revenge," Isis said playfully. "I've noticed that he has been cold towards your husband of late."

"I suppose he never forgave Mad for winning over my heart and hand," I replied.

"Speaking of Mahado, he should be training with us. Where is he? And Shada as well?"

I sighed. "The two of them have been spending way too much time in the library. Mahado has done nothing but search through scroll after scroll, looking for the spell that was used to create the Millennium Items. The determination to find the spell has taken a hold of him like a fever. He has gone late into the night searching for it; on more than one occasion I've had to drag him out of the library and get him to bed! And even then, he still tosses and turns for a while."

"Perhaps this is way of grieving for his uncle, by throwing himself into his work and his search for the spell," Isis said gently. "I'm sure that in several days, this zeal of his will wear off."

"Yes, perhaps," I conceded. "He hasn't shown any grief, save for that one night when he came crying into my arms. But I worry for him sometimes; most nights he even stays up with an oil lamp burning reading. When he does come to bed, he is often too exhausted to do anything but sleep. Surely this can't be healthy for him!"

"Oh, I see, you miss his… intimate company," Isis said, giving me a teasing nudge.

"With his new duties as the Guardian of the Millennium Ring and this search, we've hardly made love in the past month!" I whined. "And I still haven't conceived, despite my many offerings and pleadings to Aset, Hathor, and Heqet."

"I'm sure that it's only a matter of time. For all we know, there could be a child forming in your belly as we speak!"

"I hope that you are right," I said dejectedly. "For I'm beginning to think there will never be a child at all."

* * *

After our training session, I made my way to the library. Sure enough, there was Mahado, perusing a fat scroll, and Shada was making a small pile of more scrolls by his side. Upon seeing me, he smiled and said in greeting, "Princess Jasana! What a pleasant surprise! I trust that the training session with Shimon went well?"

"Yes, although we missed the two of you," I said. I laid a hand on my husband's shoulder, but he didn't look up from his scroll. "Surely you could use a bit of sunshine. How about a walk along the Nile?"

"I should probably finish this scroll first, Jani," Mahado answered, not even looking at me.

I sighed in frustration. "Please indulge me this one time, my love." He finally looked up at me. Seeing my face, he rolled up the scroll and stood up.

"I suppose a short walk would do me some good," he conceded, wrapping his arm around my waist.

"I shall carry on in your stead," Shada said. "Surely you know by now that this library is my second home, Jasana."

I laughed. "Suit yourself, Shada, although I think you could use some of Ra's company as well; you're entirely too pale."

He smiled. "I don't mind at all; enjoy your walk."

"So, have you made any progress on finding the spell?" I casually asked.

"No," Mahado huffed in frustration. "It's already been a month as of today, and still nothing."

"It must be a rare and complex spell," I said soothingly. "Be patient; I'm sure that you will find it in time. You've been working so hard; perhaps you should take a much-needed break."

"This walk will suffice for now," he replied. "And I do believe that it's time to bring the horses in from the pasture. How about a little detour?"

I nodded, glad to have him to myself for a little while more. We approached the pasture where Nephthys and Bata were grazing. However, as we neared, we could see Bata mounting Nephthys.

Mahado choked back a laugh. "It seems as if we've come at a bad time; I say we leave them be and come back at a later time."

At that moment, Bata withdrew, and the two of them trotted up to the gate, seemingly unabashed that we had witnessed their intimacy. I opened the gate, and the two of them dutifully walked out and followed us as we led them to their stalls. Once we saw them safely in, we continued along towards the river.

"It would be wonderful to have a little foal in the stable," I said. "Although that would mean that I wouldn't be able to ride her for a while if she should become pregnant."

"Just as you wouldn't be able to ride if you were to become with child," Mahado said, giving me a light squeeze.

"I can ride in the early months if I were with child; many a woman has," I replied.

"Well… I'm not sure if I would like the idea," he said hesitantly.

"Let's figure that out once I do become with child," I said, smoothly avoiding an argument. I didn't want to waste the precious time arguing over something that still had yet to happen. "And it's been a little over a year since we've married, and still nothing!" Already I was overhearing whispers floating around in the court about my failure to conceive.

"There is nothing to worry about, Jani," Mahado said gently. "Your own mother didn't conceive you until she was married to the Pharaoh a little over a year."

"But that was her, not me!"

"My, my, somebody is impatient to have a child," he teased.

"Well, I think we are more than ready to start a family, Mad, don't you?"

"There is nothing that would please me more. But I am willing to leave it to the goddesses to decide when would be a good time to send one to us."

As Ra descended into the west, we made our way back into the palace. "Come dine in the banquet hall, just for tonight," I pleaded. "I shall dress up and look particularly beautiful just for you if you do."

"You already are beautiful just the way you are, without paint or jewels," he replied. "But I really must return to the scrolls. Thoth willing, I shall make a breakthrough tonight." After seeing my pouting face, he promised, "But I shall finish early tonight, and reward you most _generously_ for being patient with me for all this time."

I sighed, relenting. "You promise you won't read yourself into exhaustion?"

"On the contrary, I shall preserve all my energy just for pleasuring you," he replied, pulling me into a kiss. "Just make sure that you don't spend all your energy charming everyone in the banquet hall tonight."

* * *

It was quite late when I returned to my bedchamber, and I smelled the aroma of candles burning. Mahado was waiting for me in our bed, already naked. I jumped and gasped at the sight of him. "I hope that was a gasp of surprise," he said jokingly.

"You startled me! I didn't think you would be back by now!"

He laughed as he pulled me into his arms and began undressing me slowly. "Consider it compensation for the other night when I came to you in tears," he murmured huskily, moving his hands down over the curves of my body and bathing it with sensual kisses.

After we were fully satiated, I asked sleepily, "So, did you make that breakthrough you were hoping for earlier tonight?"

"Sadly, no," he sighed. "In fact, when I returned to the library, I found a most strange sight: the scrolls on the most advanced magic were missing. Someone had deliberately removed them, and Shada hadn't the slightest idea who."

"That's strange indeed," I concurred. "Shada watches the activity of that library like a hawk. How could anyone have slipped through his purveyance?"

His brow furrowed. "I don't know; but whoever it was, I'm sensing that it must be someone who doesn't want the truth of the Millennium Items to be discovered."

"But exactly who would that be?"

* * *

After another half a month of futilely searching, Mahado reluctantly had to admit that he needed more than Shada's assistance. One morning, as Father called his usual meeting of the Millennium Court, Mahado stepped forward. "Your Excellency, I have a request to make."

Father nodded. "What is it, Mahado?"

"After my encounter with the darkness of the Millennium Ring, I have decided to undertake the task of finding the spell used to create the Millennium Items. However, after a month and a half of searching, I still have found nothing. May I have your permission to enlist the best scholars in every city in the kingdom to find the spell?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the shocked look on Akhnadin's face, and how he was wringing his hands nervously. _That is most strange… why is Uncle acting so nervous?_ I asked myself.

"There is no need for that, Mahado," Father replied. "The source of the spell is right here in the palace, although it is in a secret compartment hidden in the library: the Millennium Spell-book of Thoth."

There was a collective gasp from everyone at the court. The Millennium Spell-book contained the darkest and most powerful magic of all; rumor had it that anyone who could decipher its secrets would possess the key to ruling the entire world.

"But deciphering the Spell-book is a most difficult and dangerous task to undertake!" Akhnadin argued.

"You have done it yourself, Akhnadin, when you created the Millennium Items; perhaps you could be so kind as to assist Mahado?"

There was a strange look on Akhnadin's face as he replied, "I destroyed my translations after I had completed the task, to prevent anyone from repeating the ritual. And I must admit that my memory of how to decode the spell is foggy. I'm afraid Mahado will have to undertake the task alone, even though I do not recommend it."

I beheld my uncle in shock, and then I suddenly remembered a vague memory, one from so many years ago.

_"Uncle! Where are you going?"_

_"I'm going to save Egypt, my little Princess. I will be going away on an important task…"_

_So that's what he was doing!_ I realized. _His important task was creating the seven Items! But why would he refuse to divulge the spell he used, and why is he refusing to help Mahado? That's not like him at all!_

"Very well. Mahado, you shall have the assistance of the most capable scholars of the court. Best of luck in your endeavor, and when you find the spell, report it to me immediately. I wish to know the origin of these Items that are meant to uphold peace and _ma'at_ in Egypt."

"Yes, sir," he obediently replied, kneeling and placing his right hand over his heart.

After discussing other affairs of the kingdom, Father dismissed the Guardians for the remainder of the morning. Mahado and Shada returned to the library. I walked with Karim, Isis, and Seto towards the area for our battle training session with Shimon.

"Is it just me, or does Akhnadin seem to be acting strangely of late?" I asked.

"I didn't notice anything amiss, Jasana. Why, did you?" Karim replied

"He seemed to be shocked when Mahado announced that he was looking for the spell used to create the Millennium Items, and he was wringing his hands, a well-known nervous habit of his. And it's not like him to refuse helping anyone, so why would he refuse to help Mahado?"

"Perhaps he doesn't deem helping Mahado a task worthy of his time and thought that Mahado is more than capable of finding the spell himself," Seto sneered. "After all, your husband is quite the capable magician; surely he doesn't need assistance in finding a simple spell."

"If he didn't need assistance, he wouldn't be asking for it," I snapped. "And if it really was a simple spell, then he would have found it by now."

"It does seem strange to me," Isis mused. "And he said that he destroyed his translations so that nobody would repeat the ritual. Maybe it's a ritual that he didn't want to be repeated, which must mean that he is ashamed of the task. I only wonder why…"

"Why would he be ashamed?" Seto challenged. "His task saved Egypt from being ravaged by war!"

As they bickered, I lost myself to my own thoughts. As far as I knew, Akhnadin had never spoken to anyone about the birth of the Millennium Items; not even Father knew the truth of the ritual. Why would Akhnadin, of all people, harbor such a secret? The thought sent chills under my skin.

"All right, everyone, that is enough arguing," Shimon said firmly. "Now, who shall face who in today's session?"

"Since Isis and I proved victorious in our matches, I say that we face off to see who the ultimate victor is," Seto said.

"Which leaves me with you, Karim," I said. "And I don't expect you to go easy on me like you used to do."

"Rest assured, Jasana, I will fight with my best effort," he replied.

The two of us activated our diadiankhs. "Diaha!"

* * *

The heat from Ra's rays beat mercilessly down on us, and not even the ostrich fans could bring relief. I tried to ignore the sweat pooling on my brow under the oppressive golden headdress. I envied the mourning women, who wailed and threw dust on themselves and didn't have to wear heavy headdresses. In fact, they hardly wore anything at all. I was impatient for the burial ceremony to be over so that I could retreat into the cool palace and remove my headdress. Surely a cold bath would be in order once we got back.

I leaned against Mahado and comfortingly grasped his hand, giving it a light squeeze. He smiled a small smile and squeezed back, and moved in front of me in an effort to shade me from the sun. The High Priest of Anubis was chanting an invocation, and then he held out the rod to the Pharaoh, who handed it to Mahado.

My husband stepped forward, touched the rod to Lord Serewakht's mummy, and chanted, "In the name of Anubis and Osiris, Serewakht, son of Lord Khamanef, awaken to your new life in the west!" His voice carried only the slightest waver, and he stepped down and returned to my side.

Once the priests carried the mummy inside and sealed the tomb, we made our way back to the barge. Mahado stood pensively at the closed mouth of the tomb.

"Farewell, Uncle," I heard him murmur. "I shall miss your good counsel, but I trust that you are with Mother and Father and the gods."

"Mad?" I called. He turned around to me, and I stretched out an arm to him. "Come, the barge awaits us."

He slowly followed me on board, and he kept his gaze focused towards the tomb until it was out of sight.

"He is in a better place now, my love," I murmured, rubbing my hand along his arm.

He wiped away a few tears. "I know that, and we shall be reunited someday."

"Hopefully a long way away in the future, when we are both old and shriveled," I said, enveloping him in my embrace.

"By the way," he murmured into my ear. "I have finally deciphered the spell that was used to create the Millennium Items. I intend to tell the Pharaoh tomorrow; today is a day of mourning."

"You did?" I eagerly asked. "That's wonderful! Your hard work has finally paid off! What is the spell?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "It's not a pleasant tale to tell, Jani. Perhaps I shall tell you after I report to your father. I want him to be the first to hear of it."

"Very well," I sighed. "Tell my father first, but after him, I want to be the next person to know."

"Are you certain? After all, it was your uncle who performed the spell, and I'm afraid that if I told you, you will never be able to look at him the same way again."

"Nonsense; of course I want to know," I stoutly replied. "After all, I want to know what it was that has kept you searching for so long."

* * *

_The dark clouds thunder ominously overhead, accompanying the thud of a hundred hoofbeats. I see a small village sleeping, unaware of the army that is fast approaching, my uncle riding at the head. The soldiers sweep through each house, dragging out women by their hair, ushering men with the tips of their spears. _

_"What is the meaning of this? This is an outrage?" I hear the villagers cry. "We have done nothing wrong!" _

_"Finally, your dark spirits will be put to good use, thief!" I hear one of the soldiers say. Children are crying and clutching the skirts of their mothers. _

_"What's going on? Leave them alone!" I cry, but nobody seems able to hear me. The soldiers usher the villagers into an underground chamber. There, my uncle and four other men are already there, chanting spells as they sharpen a knife. Seeing them, the villagers break out in a panic and try to flee, but the spears of the soldiers keep them right where they are. _

_"What is the meaning of this?" One villager demands; he is clearly one of the village elders. "Who are you, and why have you seized us from our beds? I demand an explanation!" _

_"In the name of Egypt and the Pharaoh, your lives will hereby be sacrificed for the good of the kingdom," Akhnadin answers. _

_"The Pharaoh decreed this? That evil tyrant!" the man replies. _

_"Not directly, but I act on his behalf." He gestures to the soldiers to bring the man forth. The man struggles, but then my uncle chants a spell that renders him immobile. I try to look away, but my eyes won't seem to obey as Akhnadin slits the man's throat, and his blood and corpse are thrown into a vast pit. _

_There are terrible screams as the citizens try to flee, but one of the other sorcerers shouts, "Your attempts to flee are useless! Anyone who struggles or tries to put up a fight will only face a more cruel death! You might as well submit to your fate and we shall be merciful in killing you." _

"_Please, let this nightmare end…" I silently beg. But I am forced to watch in horror as every last villager is slaughtered- even the youngest child. One woman, big with child, pleads for her life, but Akhnadin plunges a dagger into her throat. Even with her last breath she is pleading, "Please…spare me… my child…" I feel tears start to my eyes. _

_In one corner, I spy a child watching the entire scene, tears streaming from his eyes. He bites his knuckles to prevent his sobs from being heard, but he is shaking all over. _

_My uncle chants a spell, and the bloody carnage transforms into molten gold. He pours this into a mold, and, after a while, he breaks open the mold with a hammer. _

"_It worked! Behold, the Millennium Items!" Each man holds one of the Items in his hands. But I only spy six. Where is the seventh? _

_Suddenly, the ground shakes, and a great chasm opens in the ground. One of the man falls in with an agonizing scream. _

"_We must have angered the gods!" one of the other sorcerers cries. A great stone emerges from the chasm, with impressions for all the Items. In the center, I spy the Millennium Ring._

_A dark force pushes all the men against the wall, and a great dark creature seizes my uncle. "What do you want?" Akhnadin demands in a shaky voice. _

"_Return those Items to their resting place," it commands. I recognize that voice! It's the same dark voice that possessed my husband! _

"_Never; these Items belong to us!" Akhnadin says, forcing the Millennium Eye into one of his eye sockets. "Unhand me!" With a glow from the Eye, the creature relinquishes its hold. _

_One of the sorcerers runs to him. "Master Akhnadin! We must leave immediately!"_

"_Not without this," he replies, seizing the Millennium Ring. He and the other men flee into the night…_

I bolted upright and screamed with all my might. Mahado awoke with a start. "Jani! What is it?" He enveloped me into his arms. "Hush, Jani, it was only a nightmare…"

"Not just any nightmare!" I sobbed into his shoulder. "It was a vision, a most horrifying vision!"

"What was it?"

"Mad, tell me the truth! Did the creation of the Millennium Items involve a slaughter of a thousand people?"

He gasped. "How did you-"

"I saw it all! I saw every last man, woman, and child slaughtered! I saw their blood used to forge the Items! I saw everything! And my uncle… my uncle… how could he?" By the time I awoke, I had forgotten that there was a sole survivor…for the time being, anyway.

"I was afraid to tell you precisely because of that," Mahado sighed, running a soothing hand up and down my back. "And I suspect that it was he who removed those scrolls from the library, for naturally he wouldn't want anyone finding out what happened that night at Kul-Elna…"

I gaped at him. "What did you say the name of the village was?"

"Kul-Elna," he replied. "It was where the most notorious tomb robbers lived. In the time of the heretic King Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti, the villagers served to build the tombs of Amarna. When Amarna and the tombs were abandoned, they were forced to resort to robbing the tombs instead, thus explaining why their souls were so evil."

"But that doesn't justify slaughtering an entire village!" I cried. "Even if it was for the good of Egypt! It was an evil sin!"

"Hush, Jani…peace, my love. It happened a long time ago. There's no use fretting about it now…"

"How can I be at peace?" I asked. "I saw the vision as it clearly occurred! Oh, the horror…" I succumbed to sobs. Mahado held me until I cried all my tears out. He eventually returned to sleep, but I remained awake in his arms until Ra rose in the east.

* * *

Two days later, I helped Atem saddle Sobek while Father stood by. He looked weary, as if he had not slept for the past few days. If Mahado had told him the truth of the birth of the Millennium Items, I could not blame him for his anguish. After all, he gave the order for the forgery of the Items, and therefore was indirectly responsible for the slaughter, even though Akhadin did not tell him the cost of forging the Items.

"Where are you going?" I asked him.

"That, I'm afraid, must remain a secret," Father answered. "Only I know of its existence, and soon only Atem and I will be the only ones who know. We are only taking two guards with us, and they have sworn to the utmost secrecy." Father mounted, and Atem clambered up after him. "Look after the palace, Jasana. We shall return before Ra descends into the west."

"Yes, Father," I dutifully replied. I watched as he kicked Sobek into a gallop, and he, Atem, and the two mounted guards disappeared behind the gate doors. _Where could they be going?_ I wondered. _Why did Father only take Atem with him, and not me?_

"Pardon the interruption, Princess, but the petitioners await you," one of the servants said, bowing low before me.

I snapped out of my thoughts. "Of course," I replied. I made my way to the throne room. The Guardians were already there, and upon seeing me, they fell to their knees with their hands over their hearts, paying obeisance to me as if I was the sole ruler of Egypt. Even Mahado was on his knees before me, and the sight made me feel incredibly and strangely lonely. I awkwardly settled down on the throne, feeling as if I was usurping Father's place. But he had made me ruler while he was gone, and had trusted the dealings with the petitioners of the day to me, saying that he trusted me to judge as he would.

When I had answered the last petitioner, I dismissed the Guardians, except for Akhnadin. "I wish to speak to Lord Akhnadin alone," I imperiously announced.

"Of course, Princess, we shall leave the two of you alone," Shimon said. Seto beheld me curiously before he walked away. Mahado flashed me a warning with his eyes, but I just waved him away. Finally, it was just the two of us, alone.

My uncle beheld me quizzically. "May I ask what this is all about, Jasana?"

"I know what you did at Kul-Elna!" I screeched, my voice booming throughout the room. "You should suffer the cruelest death for your crime!" Suddenly, my anger and resolve melting, I said softly, "How could you, Uncle? How could you do such a thing? You, of all people? You, who have always been a father to me and shown me such kindness; you, who are well known for your mercy towards criminals and peasants alike, how could you? This great sin goes against all you have ever stood for and worked for! Why? Why did you do it?"

His face saddened as he replied, "I had no other choice, my little Princess… If I had failed in my endeavor, Egypt would have been destroyed, her people slaughtered! Your father would have been killed; you and your mother would have been made slaves! I had to do it, for the good of the country!"

"Since when was slaughter considered for the good of the country? You cold-blooded murderer! You murdered innocent civilians for the so-called good of the country! What do you have to say for that?"

"Those villagers were evil; they have been robbing the tombs for generations. In killing them, I killed two birds with one stone. I rid the kingdom of evil-doers, and I forged Items that would ensure the safety of the kingdom for many years to come!"

I angrily rose to my feet. "How could you say such a thing, Uncle? The children were completely innocent! And the women- are you calling them evildoers as well? You killed a woman who was about to give birth to a child, even as she knelt at your feet pleading for her life!"

His face paled. "How do you know such trivial details?"

"Those are NOT trivial details!" I yelled. "I saw it all in a dream last night! You murdered an entire village, sparing no one, not even the newborn babes! You murdered them in cold blood, and used them to forge the Items! No wonder there was a vast darkness that nearly consumed Mahado's soul. You are responsible for his ordeal! You brought on this darkness!"

"For the good of the country! It was necessary! If it was not, I would not have done otherwise!"

"Your dark crime besmirches my good father's name and taints his reign in innocent blood!"

"They were not innocent! They wielded the darkest spirits known in the kingdom! They deserved to die!"

"They did not! No matter what they did, they were still human beings, just as human as you and I! What if it was a twist of fate that made me that pregnant woman that you killed, Uncle, hmmm? What is the difference between your life and that of one of the village men? He is just as human as you, he has a family, and he was only trying to get by. What is the difference between the small boy that you murdered and Atem? You might as well have been killing your own nephew! Oh, my Uncle, see the blood that taints your hands! You will bring a terrible curse on all of us!"

"Believe me, my niece; I have been paying every day of my life for that night. It was my greatest achievement and my darkest hour."

"What do you mean?" I furiously demanded. "How could you possibly be paying for that crime and still be living? Explain yourself, Uncle!"  
He fell to his knees. "My wife… my son…"

"You mean you had a family, and you never even told Father or me? We had relatives, and you kept them from the palace, from a life of privilege and luxury? How could you do that to your own flesh and blood? I am ashamed that I'm related to you! As of this day, you're no uncle of mine. Get out of my sight, Lord Akhnadin! May Ammit collect her payment as is due when you die!"

Trembling, he backed out from the room, murmuring, "I humbly ask your forgiveness, Jasana. I can understand why you are angry with me, but I did it for you, my little Princess. I have been trying to atone for my sins by lavishing all my affection on you…"

"Don't you ever dare call me your little Princess again!" I said coldly as I waved him away.

I collapsed onto the throne, my head throbbing with the exchange_. First he kept the truth about the birth of the Millennium Items a secret, and now this, news of kin that we never knew… what other secrets could my uncle be hiding? Does Father know of his family?_ My head swimming, I stood up and staggered out of the throne room, walking right into Mahado, who had been waiting for me.

"I heard the entire exchange, Jani," he said without preamble.

I glared at him. "Well, what of it? Don't tell me that you side with that cold-blooded murderer who fate has cruelly made my uncle."

"I'm not saying anything of the sort," he replied. "Although if what he says is true, and those men were evil…"

"I don't care if they were evil!" I snapped. "Nobody is completely good or completely evil; we all have our faults and our goodness. That is no excuse for murdering an entire village, and what of the children who haven't lived long enough to even know the difference between good and evil? Are you saying that their slaughter was justified? I most certainly hope you are not, Mad!" I winced as the throbbing in my head intensified.

He gently wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "Come, clearly the exchange has brought you great distress. Let's get you a soft bed to rest in and a cool cloth for your head, and then we shall discuss this after you have cooled down a little."

As he helped me into our bed and brought me a cup of water, the mysterious words of the priestess came back to me. _From the ashes of Kul-Elna the son of Sutekh will rise… _I suddenly realized. _Oh Ra, we all will pay dearly for Akhnadin's crime! This will surely bring a curse on all of us!_

Seeing the distress on my face, Mahado asked, "What is it, Jani?"

I remembered that I had never told him of the ominous prophecy. "N-nothing," I replied. "I suppose I'm still going over the exchange with Akhnadin is all."

He pulled me into an embrace. "I can understand why you're so angry, Jani. But think: What other alternative did he have? The enemy was at our doorstep, if you remember correctly. It was the power of the Millennium Items that prevented our enemy from ravishing our city. What if Akhnadin had no other choice but to forge the Items or let Egypt fall?"

I sighed. "I suppose he really did have no other choice, but I still believe that he mercilessly slaughtered all those people. Killing the innocent can never be just, in my opinion."

"I'm not asking you to change your opinion; I'm simply suggesting that you go a little easy on your uncle. After all, if it weren't for him, there might not have been an Egypt for you and your brother, and for the rest of us."

Just then, a servant entered, saying breathlessly. "Begging your pardon, Your Highness, my lord, but the Pharaoh and the Prince have returned from their journey. But the Pharaoh has collapsed in the stable!"

I rose immediately, and Mahado followed suit. "What! Where is he?"

"In his chamber, Your Highness."

"Oh no," Mahado said grimly. "I was afraid this would happen…"

* * *

**1- The card is actually named "Gyakutenno Megami". **

**Thanks for reading! As always, please leave a review too! Next chapter will come out towards the end of the week, either Thursday or Friday! :)**


	37. Horus Falls

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh**

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* * *

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I held a cup to Father's dry, cracked lips. "Here, drink this, Father." He hardly stirred. "Please, Father, don't you want to restore your strength and get better? Here, drink this, there you go…" He took a small sip and then another, until he could drink no more. I wiped the excess from his lips. "We'll give you some more at a later time. For now, sleep, Father." I pulled the blanket up to his shoulders.

"The gods are punishing me, Jasana, for the slaughter at Kul-Elna…"

I hushed him. "You speak nonsense, Father. What happened that night was not your fault; you didn't know of it, and therefore you are not to blame. It was entirely Akhnadin's fault, and he shall pay dearly, trust me."

"No; Akhnadin is needed still... Let him live... It will be my blood that will pay for that terrible crime…"

I didn't want to hear it; I chose to believe that it was nothing but delirious rambling. "You know not of what you speak. Rest, Father; I shall send Lady Aseneit soon to attend to you.

"Make sure that Atem's lessons continue, it is essential that he continues to learn even when I am ill. And I trust to you to see to the matters of the kingdom in my stead, Jasana."

"I won't let you down," I whispered, choking back tears as I took my leave.

* * *

I met with the Guardians in one of the numerous meeting rooms in the palace. I sat in Father's usual place, and it felt strange. I normally sat on his right, while Atem sat at his left. However, Atem was at Father's bedside, leaving me alone at the head of the table. The six Guardians took their seats after I did. I caught Mahado's eye, wishing that I could have the comfort of his presence by my side. But even though I was acting on my father' behalf, he was still only a Guardian and had to take his designated position.

"Princess," Shimon began, "you do know that if, Ra forbid, the Pharaoh should pass, you will need to act as regent for the Prince until he reaches either fifteen or sixteen of years of age, when he is ready to take on his role as the Living Horus."

I raised my eyebrow. "Indeed, Lord Shimon, I am well aware of that. Pray tell, what is to determine the difference between whether or not my brother takes over at the age of fifteen or sixteen?"

"That will be for him to decide, whenever he is ready."

"There also is the matter of the safety of the kingdom," Akhnadin said. We all turned our heads to look at him. "As you all know, King Akhenamkhanen managed to bring peace to Egypt and put an end to the twenty years of war that ravaged the country during his father's reign and the early years of his." He looked at me meaningfully, and I knew that he meant to add, "Thanks to the creation of the Millennium Items."

"Yes, we are all aware of that, Lord Akhnadin," I stiffly replied. "What is your point?"

"His point," Seto answered, "is that Egypt's enemies may take advantage of the situation should, Ra forbid, the unthinkable happen, and forego the peace that the Pharaoh forged with them. With the young Prince on the throne and you acting as Regent in his stead, they may regard Egypt as being weakened and ripe for the taking."

In my anger I gripped the arms of my chair so tightly that my knuckles turned white. "Are you suggesting that foreigners may deem me a weak and incompetent ruler, Lord Seto?" I asked, managing to keep my voice even.

"With all due respect," he hastily replied, "that is not my thought, but I fear that our enemies may deem it as such."

"But you need not worry, Princess. Egypt is very well-protected," Shimon said, patting my hand in a fatherly way. "Her troops stand at your beck and call should the need arise."

"Even so, I suggest that Your Highness increase the number of troops and send an expedition to remind our enemies of our might."

"Enough!" I snapped, rising to my feet. "I will hear no more of this insolent nonsense from you, Seto. You would do well to remember your position, and keep in mind that I am not Queen Regent yet. With the blessing of the gods, my father will surely recover and retake his rightful place in this chair. I am merely a temporary substitute for him. If there is nothing more to discuss, you are all dismissed. I must go and attend to my father."

* * *

_Sekhemet, please, I beseech thee, O Powerful One, heal my Father! It can't be his time to die yet! It just can't be!_ I prayed fervently, letting the scent of the burning incense pervade my racing thoughts. I felt tears stream from my eyes. _Please… I don't want to be Queen Regent…_

I sighed, rose to my feet, and left the shrine, deep in thought. The meeting with the Guardians unnerved me. The thought of having to rule for a few years was daunting; already I didn't like the job much, even though I was ruling in Father's stead. And there was the threat of the old wars renewing again- to have to make war decisions that would decide the fate of the kingdom was even more intimidating.

I sought the refuge of the lotus garden, closing my eyes and listening to the sound of the flowing water in an effort to calm my agitated mind. I heard footsteps, and I opened my eyes to see Mahado walking towards me. He sat down next to me, and I looked away, not wanting him to see my distress.

As if he could sense it anyway, he gently wrapped me in his arms. "I know how hard this must be for you, Jani. At the meeting, I wanted so much to reach out to you to let you know that I was there, but alas, I was too far away. You looked so frightened, almost like a child…"

"I… I f-feel l-like one, too!" I said, bursting into sobs. "I feel so l-lost… a-and o-verw-whelmed… I'm n-not read-dy to be Queen! I don't want F-Father to d-die!"

He tightened his hug and pressed my head to his shoulder. "Nobody wants the Pharaoh to die, my love. But I'm afraid that by the looks of his condition, it is most likely that he will. It has already been half a month, and he is slowly deteriorating, despite your and Lady Aseneit's best efforts. And if that should happen, you know that your brother is too young to rule. Who else will be able to be regent but you?"

"Yes, I know that you're right," I said, wiping my tears away with my sleeve. "But I don't feel like I'm ready! I feel as if I've had inadequate training!"

"While you don't have as much training as your brother, I'm sure that you will be just fine," he said soothingly, tenderly brushing away the rest of my tears with his fingers. Smiling reminiscently, he asked, "Do you remember that ride, so long ago, when you asked if we would always be friends, even when you became Queen?"

"Yes, now I do."

"Well then, you'll remember that I said that you would be as great a Queen as Hatshepsut. That belief still stands, even though you are only to be a regent for your brother. I'm sure that you will make the Pharoah and your mother proud."

"How can you be so sure?" I asked dubiously.

He kissed me gently. "Because I believe in you, Jani, my love. It's as simple as that. You believed in me when I doubted my ability to become a Guardian, and now it is my turn to have faith in you. Besides, you'll have your mother and your father looking down on you and guiding you and you will be moved by the wisdom of the gods. You'll also have me, and your brother, and all the other Guardians by your side. With all of us, you shall prevail, trust me."

* * *

One day, a month after he had fallen ill, I checked on Father to see him sitting up in bed. Pleasantly surprised and feeling a flutter of hope, I asked, "How are you feeling, Father?"

He smiled feebly. "A little bit better, thanks to you and Lady Aseneit. For once I'm not spending the entire day half-asleep. I have a fragment of strength yet."

"He ate his entire meal just now too!" Atem happily replied. I let out a sigh of relief at seeing this volley from my father, and a smile from Atem for the first time in a month. Ever since Father had fallen ill, he had hardly left his side, except for when his lessons called him away. I worried about what Father's death would do to him, remembering all too well how I grieved for Mother.

Father looked down at him. "Isn't it time for your riding lesson with Akhnadin, my boy?"

Atem looked down at his hands sheepishly. "Well… can I not stay here with you instead?"

"He's been so worried about you that he has been having trouble focusing," I replied. "Perhaps it's best if he stay here with you today."

"Nonsense. As you can see, I'm feeling better, and with the will of the goods, I shall make a full recovery. I will rest easier knowing that you are keeping up with your studies, Atem. I won't hear of you neglecting them just because of me."

Atem sighed dejectedly. "Very well, Father, if you insist, and if it will make you feel better."

Father smiled and pulled him into a hug. "It does, my boy. You must be as prepared as you can possibly be for the day when you take your place on the Throne of Horus." I saw Atem shiver a little with fright as Father said this. "Now go." Atem dutifully walked out.

As I gave Father his medicine, he asked, "Does he know the truth about the Millennium Items?"

I shook my head. "I don't think he does."

"Good, that is good. Promise me that you and the others will not reveal it to him; he doesn't need to be burdened with such a terrible truth. Hopefully I was successful in asking the gods for forgiveness, and so they shall spare him and let him reign in peace."

"What do you mean, Father?"

"I suppose it's time to tell you," Father replied. "I took Atem to the Shrine of the Ancestors, where all of the Pharaohs who came before are worshipped. I called upon them, confessing that I am solely responsible for the slaughter in bringing forth the Millennium Items. Atem had to witness this, and only him. There was a flash of lightning, and so I'm hoping that the gods heard my plea and that Atem is safe."

Recalling the strange prophecy I had heard, I wasn't so sure, but I didn't see a need to tell Father of this. "Why is it that nobody but us knows of this shrine?"

"Because it harbors an immense power- that of the gods' creatures. According to a legendary prophecy, only the Chosen Pharaoh will know the names of these three great kas of the gods. And when the need arises, the Chosen Pharaoh will call them forth by name and save Egypt."

"Do you really believe in the truth of this prophecy, Father?" I asked uncertainly.

"I'm not sure if I believe in prophecies, but nevertheless, I think it's wise not to take reckless chances. Now Atem knows of their existence, and time will only tell if he is the Chosen Pharaoh. I hope not, for that will mean that he will face a great challenge in his reign that he must conquer."

I shivered, clinging tighter to my father's hand. "Yes, let us hope that he is not, for his own safety."

Father winced then, placing a hand over his heart. "Father!" I cried. "Perhaps you haven't yet regained your whole strength just yet. Come, you should rest…" I helped him lie down.

"Jasana…" he whispered. "Promise me that you will uphold _ma'at _to the best of your abilities… and protect your brother when he becomes the Living Horus…"

"Of course, Father. On my life I swear it!" I said fervently.

His face loosened with relief. "Good, that is good. Now, I believe the kingdom's affairs have need of your attention. Go, and send Lady Aseneit in." I nodded and took my leave, praying with all my heart that he would make a full recovery, despite what Lady Aseneit and the other healers said and what the signs had been telling me. After all, he managed to recover a small portion of his strength today; surely in time he would recover the rest of it as well and there would be no need for me to become the Queen Regent just yet.

* * *

Despite my naïve hoping, Father's volley did not last. Several days later, I was reading over and signing some important documents when I heard running footsteps. Shimson came bursting through the door. "Princess! You must come quickly!"

I stood up so quickly that I overturned the inkpot. I snatched up the documents to save them from the mess and followed Shimon to my father's bedchamber. Mahado met with me in the corridor and followed me as I ran in.

Father's face looked ashen, and his breathing was really labored. Atem silently sat at his side, clutching his hand as he steeled himself against crying. I knelt beside him, and Mahado lingered behind me. I could still feel his strong presence supporting me as I laid a hand on my father's arm.

"Father…" I began.

He opened his eyes, and whispered. "The end has come… But fear not, for I shall see your mother again… I have missed her…for all these years… and I have waited… for the day… when we shall be reunited. We shall wait for you… in the west. The kingdom is in your hands now… know that I shall watch over you… and I trust that you shall rule justly and wisely…"  
"No! Father!" Atem wailed, throwing himself across his body. "Please… I need you… don't go!" He echoed my unspoken sentiments.

Father laid a hand on his head. "It is my time, my son." He then stretched out a shaking hand to me, and I took it. "My daughter, before I go… forgive me for neglecting you for all those years…"

I patted his hand, blinking back tears as I shakily replied, "There is nothing to forgive, my dear father."

"Then, my beloved children… know that you have sustained me for all these years since your mother died. You have been the sole reason of my existence…" With shaking hands, he removed the Millennium Pendant (1) from his neck, and held it out to Atem. Atem didn't move to take it, and so I took it on his behalf. "Never turn your back… on what you believe is right, my children… Farewell, and watch out for each other…" With that, his eyes closed, and his grip on my hand loosened. I held on until it grew cold.

Atem, not being able to contain himself any longer, broke into great heaving sobs. I wrapped my arms around him as I unleashed sobs of my own, and Mahado enveloped the both of us in his arms, tears silently streaming down his own cheeks.

* * *

"My Queen, more workers have been placed at the tomb of the late King Akhenamkhanen to prepare his part of the tomb in time for his burial."

After a brief pause, I realized that the Chief Tomb Artisan was addressing me. "Oh… yes, very well," I stammered. "That is good news. See to it that the progress continues."

"Yes, my Queen," he said as he bowed and left.

The chief embalmer entered next. Falling to his knees, he said, "My Queen, I have a request to make."

"What is it?"

"Our supplies of natron (2) are running low; I'm afraid that we must purchase some more."

I nodded. "Then I give you permission to do so. It is necessary for the mummification of the late Pharaoh, and I will not have his burial delayed. See to it that it is done immediately."

"Yes, Your Majesty," the embalmer replied.

The guards came in next, bringing a man at spear-point. "My Queen, this man has been caught defiling the Temple of Hathor. What shall be his punishment?"

Seto stepped forward. "Perhaps we should perform the Millennium Trial?"

I put a hand to my head. "Not today. House him in the dungeon, and I shall decide his fate some other day." I rose to my feet, still unused to everyone addressing me as "Queen". "That shall be the last petitioner for today. You are all dismissed."

Shimon approached the dais. "Before we finish, Pr- I mean, my Queen, I have an announcement to make."

I gestured with my hand. "By all means, Shimon, continue."

"My connection with the Millennium Key has been fading. Therefore, once the Pharaoh is buried and the period of mourning is over, I shall pass the Key onto Shada; he is more than ready."

"But then what will you do?" I asked, momentarily forgetting my regal decorum and panicking. I had relied on his good counsel.

"Never fear, Princess; I shall stay on as your chief vizier. You will need my help to keep the other lower viziers in check."

For the first time in a while, I allowed myself to smile. "So I will, Shimon. I'm glad that you shall be staying on; I'll need every bit of your help that I can have."

He knelt before me with his hand over his heart. "I shall serve you as diligently and faithfully as I served your father."

"Good; I am forever grateful for your loyalty," I said as I dismissed everyone. I then asked him. "Has my brother emerged from his chamber at all today?"

He sadly shook his head. "I'm afraid not, my Queen, and he hasn't eaten anything at all today."

"He hasn't been eating much lately, or leaving his chamber," I replied mournfully.

Mahado held out his hand to help me down the steps of the dais, and I gratefully reveled in his comforting grasp. "Perhaps a ride along the river could do you some good, my love," he suggested.

"I should probably check on Atem," I said.

"You can do that once we return; let him grieve in peace for now, before you try to draw him out. Come, it's your favorite time of the day," he said enticingly.

I sighed and relented. "You know exactly how to tempt me, Mad."

"Of course," he said, letting his official expression slip from his face as he smiled gently. "After all, I know you better than anyone else."

* * *

"Ugh, I already cannot wait for when my brother takes his place on the throne," I said, letting myself lean against my husband. "Only a month, and already the job is taking its toll on me."

Mahado slackened his grip on the reins, letting Bata slow into a lazy amble along the riverbank. "It is only the first month, my love. I'm sure that in time, you will become accustomed to the role that you must play."

"Did you see that it took me a moment to respond when the Chief Tomb Artisan addressed me?" I said, twisting halfway around to look up at him.

He smiled at me, his eyes laughing. "Yes, it looked like your mind was in a different place and you thought he was speaking to someone else. Then you seemed to realize that he was speaking to you. The moment was rather amusing, if I do say so myself."

"By Ra, that was embarrassing."

"But it's only natural; it seems like you still have yet to settle into your role. And you've had to take over as soon as your father died, leaving you very little time to grieve, while the Prince has withdrawn into his grief."

"Yes," I said softly, feeling tears start to my eyes. I had to stay the grief within myself as I took on the duties of the kingdom. I threw myself into my work, feeling numb, as if I was unable to cry. Every time the urge overtook me was in the throne room, and I had to steel myself so as not to break down in a most unqueenly fashion in front of everyone.

"Let yourself cry, Jani," Mahado said softly into my hair. "Out here we are all alone, and you don't have to play the role of the strong, invincible Queen. You don't have to put up a front like you always do whenever you settle down into that throne. Here, you are just a human, and my beloved wife. You can cry in front of me." I leaned into him and let myself cry every tear I had been harboring inside me. He held me close and let the reins go as he reached forward to kiss my cheek.

After the sobs had subsided a little, he said, "I hate to bring up the subject here, and at this time, but I can't think of another time when we will be alone and completely out of earshot of any spies. Now that you are the Queen Regent, this puts me in a precarious position."

"What do you mean, Mad?"

"When you meet with the lower viziers, they might object to making me co-regent, since I am your husband. Some of these men were the same noblemen that sought your hand in marriage, remember. I wouldn't be surprised if, as we speak, there are plots to get rid of me, thus freeing you for marriage to one of them. They could take you by force and force you to make them co-regent."

I shivered and snuggled closer to him. "Oh Ra… I'm sick to death of all these potential intrigues. First there's danger to the kingdom, and now danger to you, the one whom I love the most!"

"Fear not, for I have a plan. When you meet with them, you must say that I will not be co-regent with you; I will be nothing but a priest and a Sacred Guardian. That is my wish anyway, although I shall be here to support you in every way possible. But you must make this seem as if it was solely your decision; you cannot even do so much as look in my direction when you make that declaration. Therefore, thinking that you have no wish to make me co-regent, they should pose no danger to us."

I nodded. "That is an excellent plan, and I pray that it will work. I couldn't bear the thought of losing you, especially as a result of some palace intrigue that can easily be avoided and stopped."

* * *

After our ride, Mahado and I made our way to Atem's chamber, with a tray of his favorite food in hand. Upon seeing me, the guards immediately parted, and I swept into the room, with Mahado in tow. I found him sitting on the balcony, forlornly looking into the night, with Senupi curled up in his lap.

"Atem?" He turned around and looked at me with a glance that was filled with so much sadness it nearly broke my heart. "I've brought you your favorite foods."

"I'm not really hungry, Sister," he said mournfully.

"Atem, please, you cannot go on like this," I pleaded. "You grow thin, and you hardly leave this chamber. Father would not want to see you like this."

"But that's just it- Father can't see me! He is gone!" Atem cried, tears spilling out of his eyes.

"Brother, our father may no longer walk this world, but he will live on in the Afterlife," I murmured, setting the tray down and folding him into a comforting embrace. "Take a look up at the House of Nut," I said to him. "Each of the silver dots you see up there is an akh; once someone has passed through the Hall of Ma'at, they become akhs and join Nut. Father is now up there, and Mother too, and they are looking down on us as we speak. I know that they would want us to carry on down here, without them."

"How can you carry on, Jani? I feel as if things will never go back to normal again."

"They will never be as they were when Father was alive, but things will go on. I carry on because it is necessary to do so; there are tasks that must be done, and I know that I have many years ahead of me yet. But I carry on knowing that Father, Mother, and everyone that I have ever loved live on inside here," I said, placing a hand over my heart.

Mahado walked up and placed a comforting hand on Atem's shoulder. "Indeed, my Prince, your sister speaks true. The both of us have lost someone that we loved, but we carry them within our hearts, knowing that they are watching over us. The love they left behind stays with us, even when they are long gone."

Atem threw his arms around us, and we wrapped ours around him. "You have me, Atem, and you have Mahado and everyone else to help you get through this. We'll all miss Father; there's no doubt about that. But we will carry on nevertheless; it is what he would want us to do."

With that, Atem took the tray and began to eat with a voracious appetite. Mahado and I smiled at each other; this was a promising sign. In time, Atem would recover, once he had enough time to grieve. Egypt had need of him, and in the meanwhile, I would safeguard the country and the throne until he was ready.

* * *

The entire country seemed to be in mourning as the funeral barge processed across the Nile to the Valley of the Kings. Even Ra himself seemed to be in morning, for he rarely hid his face behind gray clouds as he did that day. Atem appeared as stoic as a statue, regal in his finery. I was proud of him for putting up such a brave front.

The priests of Anubis and the wailing women led the somber procession to the mouth of the cave. As he had requested, Father would be buried with Mother, the tomb being unsealed for his entrance. The priests chanted prayers to Osiris and Anubis. Then, finally, the Head Priest of Anubis handed the rod to my brother for the Opening of the Mouth.

Atem's hand wavered, and his face quivered. He opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't seem to bring himself to say the words. I stepped forward, gently placed my hand over his, and together we touched the rod to the mouth of Father's mummy, and said, "In the name of Anubis and Osiris, Pharaoh Akhenamkhanen, awaken to your new life!" We heard a great bird-cry at that, and looked above our heads to see a magnificent falcon taking flight. I smiled. Father had indeed awakened to his new life, and he would wait for the day when we would all be reunited.

The priests carried the mummy and the canopic jars inside, the rest of the treasure and wealth having been laid in the tomb beforehand. As they sealed the entrance, Atem started towards the mouth of the tomb, but I laid a hand on his shoulder to hold him back. The procession made its way back to the barge, but he lingered, his shoulders shaking as he silently cried. Placing both my hands on his shoulders, I tenderly escorted my brother back to the barge. Mahado was waiting for us, and he gently wrapped a cloak around the both of us as the barge pulled away and prepared to return to Thebes.

* * *

The next day, I rose to greet Ra as he was reborn into this world. _O Ra, Father of the gods, smile upon me this day as I take my place upon the throne of Egypt. Grant me the power and wisdom to rule well,_ I prayed, my head bowed.

Mahado awoke and rolled over. "Awake already, my love? You'll be exhausted by the time you reach the temple! And it wouldn't do for you to sleep through your own coronation!"

I smiled at him. "Believe me, Mad, I have plenty of energy for today. I shall need every bit of it."

He got up and helped me up from my knees. "There is no need to be nervous, Jani. I know that you shall be perfect," he said assuringly as he planted a light kiss on my lips. "Now, shall we find an outfit befitting our lovely queen?" He pulled out a dress of the sheerest linen. "I believe this is lovely enough to charm even the gods," he said mischievously.

I gasped. "I'm not wearing _that_ to my coronation, Mad! This is a sacred religious ceremony!"

He laughed and tossed it aside. "I was only joking; I don't want you showing off all your assets, or else every man in the kingdom will be fighting me to ravish you right there in the temple!" He pulled out another dress, made of coarser material. "There, I think this will suffice, although it will still show off all the lovely curves of your body."

He dressed me himself, letting his hands admire all my curves and causing my breath to come ragged and shallow. "By the gods, Mad, your job is to dress me, not to arouse me! Now I only want this dress to come off so that I can have you!"

"Ah, such a shame that there is little time; I'm afraid you will have to wait till tonight," he teased.

"I hope you're not planning on showing off your erect shaft at the ceremony," I said, eyeing the bulge below his sleeping kilt. I gently pressed my hands against his chest. "Besides, it's early yet, perhaps we do still have a little bit of time. This demands my immediate attention." His sleeping kilt fell to the floor as I pleasured him with my hands and my mouth.

His hands clutched at the bedsheets as he moaned with pleasure. "Such a shame that I will have to wait till tonight to return you the favor," he murmured. "But then again, that shall give me plenty of time to devise the perfect way to give you the greatest pleasure you've ever known." He put his hands behind my head and pulled me to him in a deep kiss.

"I shall look forward to it," I said huskily.

I helped him dress, and this time we were all business. The maids helped with my cosmetics, and then Mahado himself helped me choose which of my jewels I should wear. I insisted on wearing my mother's necklace.

"This seems to be your favorite out of all of them," he observed as he clasped it around my neck.

"It's hard to explain, but whenever I wear it, it's like I can feel a part of her spirit here with me," I said. "I want her to be with me on this day."

"She is always with you; surely by now you realize that," he said tenderly. "Come, everyone is waiting for us. I'm afraid we've kept them waiting for longer than usual; we're in danger of running late."

"A queen is never late," I replied. "Everyone else is simply early."

I met Atem and the other Guardians in the main courtyard. Atem was dressed in his finest kilt and golden pectoral, and he looked every inch like a Pharaoh. "You look simply stunning, Sister!" he said, flashing a genuine smile at me.

"Why, thank you, Brother," I said, returning his smile. "And look at you! You'll grow to be the handsomest Pharaoh of the dynasty! You shall have no problem selecting a queen to rule by your side when the time comes."

"How can I have a queen by my side when you rule first in my heart?" he said.

I ruffled his hair. "Oh, I'm sure that you shall find someone in time. But you have years ahead of you yet, so you need not worry about it for a while."

We boarded the barge at that, and when the barge pulled away from the dock, we stood at the prow and waved to the people that had lined the banks. The streets were decorated with colorful banners, and the people were cheering. By that time, I wasn't so nervous at addressing the crowds. As Father had said, I would have to become accustomed to them, especially now that I was Queen Regent.

Soon the barge docked at the great temple complex, and we made our way to the Temple of Horus. The High Priest of Ra and the High Priestess of Aset were there as well. After the customary invocations, the High Priest of Horus handed the crook and flail to Atem and ceremoniously crowned him. Then, Atem removed the crown from his head and placed it on mine, and handed me the crook and flail, saying, "In the name of Horus, Ra, and Aset, I hereby endow you, my sister, Sahm-Aset Jasana, daughter of King Akhenamkhanen and Queen Hathoraset, to rule in my stead until I become of age."

The crown felt heavy on my head, which already bore the loathsome golden vulture headdress. I crossed the crook and flail in my arms, and as I stood and faced the Guardians, everyone fell to their knees with their right hand over their heart. Atem stood slightly behind me, and we went out onto the platform to address the crowd as their official sovereigns for the first time. The entire crowd fell to their knees, and the High Priest of Horus stretched out his arms over us and cried, "Long live the Queen Regent Sahm-Aset Jasana!"

The crowd echoed, "Long live the Queen Regent, the living Aset!"

I did my best to smile as I comprehended what this meant. I was now Queen Regent, the living incarnation of Aset. I was now longer merely human; I had become next to divine, a goddess in my own right- a thought as great as it was terrifying.

* * *

**1- Before the Millennium Puzzle was broken into pieces, it was known as the Millennium Pendant, according to the manga. **

**2- Natron was a kind of salt used to preserve the bodies for mummification. The corpse was packed in natron and left for seventy days before the embalming began. **

**Thanks for reading! And please leave a review too! Next chapter will be out in a few days! :)**


	38. The Living Aset

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh**

**

* * *

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I let out a long exhale, letting the stress slip away like the cool water running in the lotus garden. It was only midday, and already my first official day of reigning as Queen Regent had been rather rough. The Guardians had reported that the ruler in Persia had recently died, and his successor was showing signs of disregarding the peace treaty my father had made with them. This would not bode well for us. I was due to meet with the lower viziers in the afternoon, and already I was dreading it.

Suddenly, the peace of the moment was broken by a shrill scream, and I caught my breath as Mana pummeled me. "Surprise, Princess!" she said gleefully.

"Mana, it is most improper of you to sneak up on the Queen Regent like that!" Mahado scolded, walking up behind her.

She immediately looked chastised. "Oh, I'm sorry, Pr-I mean, my Queen!" I smiled down at the little nine-year-old.

"There is nothing to be sorry for, Mana," I said.

"I hope you weren't meditating when she barged in on you," Mahado said.

"Not at all," I replied. I turned my head back towards Mana. "What brings you here, little one?"

"I wanted to ask you where the Prince is. I haven't seen much of him at all lately, and I miss our rides and our practice sessions!"

"Mayhap he is in a lesson with Shimon," I said.

"No; Lord Shimon said that the Prince hasn't shown up for his lesson at all today!"

I rose to my feet; this was a new revelation. "What? Then he hasn't left his room at all today?" I looked over to Mahado, and together we made our way to Atem's bedchamber.

I swept in, and found Atem reading a scroll in his room. "I felt like studying by myself today, Sister," he answered upon seeing me enter.

"Why? I thought it would do you some good to be in Shimon's company,"

He looked away. "I had a dream last night… of Father. It felt so real, and then when I woke up…"

I nodded in understanding, sitting next to him and wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "Ah, I see. The grief is still fresh for you, and seeing Shimon would only remind you of him, right?"

He nodded. "I thought that by now, with him buried, things would get better, but it still feels like only yesterday."

Mana sat down next to him and wrapped her stocky arms around him. "I'm sorry, Prince," she said before planting a light kiss on his cheek. "I hope that made you feel better!"

Atem blushed right to the roots of his hair and stammered, "Well…uh… yeah, Mana! You always know how to cheer me up!" Mahado and I looked at each other and smiled at the affection between them, thinking of how we were when we were their age.

I ran a hand through my hair thoughtfully. "Atem… maybe it would be better for you if you were to get out of the palace for a while. How about I send you to our villa in Alexandria? I know you would love it there." Mahado gave me a surprised look, and I returned it with a stern glare, warning him against protesting.

Atem sighed. "The court would never stand for me leaving the city unescorted."

"Well, of course, you will be accompanied by your most trusted servants, but nobody else. I shall deal with the lower viziers on this matter, and as Queen Regent, I give you my permission to take a two-week vacation there."

Atem's eyes lightened up. "Truly, Jani?"

I laughed. "Yes; there's nothing like a holiday by the ocean to heal the spirit."

"Can I go too?" Mana asked eagerly.

"Of course; Atem will need a companion by his side, and who better than you?"

She jumped up and down in excitement. "Yay! I can't wait! It's going to be so much fun!" She hopped to her feet and pulled Atem to his. Pulling him out of the room, she said, "Come on! Let's go tell Shimon!"

Mahado approached my side and gazed after them. "Maybe it would be best to send a warning to Alexandria to be prepared to be ravaged by those two hyperactive rascals," he joked.

I laughed and wrapped an arm around his waist. "I'll consider it, after I've dealt with those lower viziers."

* * *

"Now, my Prin- I mean, my Queen, today you shall meet the viziers of the lower court. These men control the petitions and affairs of the lower court. It's best to be on your guard, for although they may have sworn an oath of fealty to your father, they will surely test you to see if you are just as competent," Shimon warned.

I straightened my back and fixed my official smile onto my face. "I'm ready Shimon, and it's already been a few months, and you still are not used to calling me 'Queen?'"

He adjusted his headdress sheepishly. "Forgive me, my Queen, but remember that I've watched you grow up from a gawky little girl. To me, you'll always be that youngling that Queen Hathoraset doted upon so much." He turned to the ushers, and the other Guardians took their places on the dais. "Bring forth the lower viziers!" Shimon called out.

Three men approached the dais, knelt with their hands over their hearts, and introduced themselves: Lord Sep-u-khamen, Lord Wasithosef, and Lord Amunhotep. I inwardly breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the first; I knew that I could count on Lord Sep-u-khamen at least to know better than to underestimate me as a ruler. The other two, having only been introduced to them, I could not be so sure of. I had heard that Amunhotep was Kanakh's father, and a kinsman of Meta's. Wasithosef was a kinsman of Takam. _What if one of them should seek vengeance for their condemned relatives?_ I thought to myself.

"Viziers," Shimon addressed, "do you solemnly swear by the Feather of Ma'at to respect Sahm-Aset Jasana as the Queen Regent and Living Aset, and to serve her as faithfully as you served the late King Akhenamkhanen?"

"We solemnly swear," they replied in unison.

"Then, my good viziers, rise," I said, gesturing with my hand for them to rise to their feet. "What business do you bring to me today?"

Lord Wasithosef and Lord Amunhotep shifted uncomfortably and glanced towards Lord Sep-u-khamen, who was clearly the boldest of the three. He cleared his throat, and said, "My Queen, forgive my forwardness, but there is the tenuous matter of your spouse. What shall his position be now that you have taken your place on the Throne of Egypt?"

"My husband," I said firmly, resisting the urge to let my eyes drift towards Mahado, "shall remain a Sacred Guardian and the Keeper of the Millennium Ring, as he has always been. I shall be the sole regent for my brother until he comes of age."

"V-very good, my Queen," he stammered.

Amunhotep stepped forward. "Then there is the matter of the Prince. I have heard that you have given permission for him to leave the royal city and to take a holiday in Alexandria. Is that correct?"

"It is, Lord Amunhotep. Whatever is the matter with this arrangement? I believe it will do my brother good to take a vacation, and I think Alexandria is the perfect place for him to go to heal his grief."

"But I worry for his safety. What if assassins should learn of this?"

"Rest assured, he will be as well guarded there as he is here," I steadily replied.

Wasithosef spoke next. "Then there is the matter of his… traveling companion. Surely Your Excellency should see that the company of the girl is not appropriate for one who is to become the Living Horus in a few years' time?"

I raised my eyebrow and glared at him, and he trembled a little under my stern gaze. "And what, pray tell, Lord Wasithosef, is your objection to the company of a dear friend of the Prince's?"

"N-none, my Queen. However, I would advise against allowing them to become too…attached to one another. After all, Mana is born of lowly nobles, hardly more than humble artisans and merchants. Such a girl could never become Queen of the Two Lands. Her lineage is not noble enough."

"They are young yet, and my brother has yet to reach the age where he will harbor anything more than brotherly affection for the girl. And I would do very well to let him choose his wife for himself when the time comes, Lord Wasithosef," I said severely.

"Of…of course. Forgive my presumptiveness, Your Excellency."

"Now, my Queen, we must turn our attention to another dire matter of the kingdom."

"And what would that be, Lord Sep-u-khamen?"

"There is one month remaining in the season of akhet (1), and Hapi (2) has yet to let the Nile overflow its banks. If it fails to do so, then the farmers will not be able to plant, and famine will run rampant throughout the country by next shomu."

I gulped. "How bad is it?"

"Only the fields closest to the river have received its waters. The majority of the canals remain dry, and the fields remain barren."

"What can be done?"

"I suggest that Your Excellency inspect the damage for yourself before coming to a conclusion, but the engineers are working as we speak to come up with a solution. There may be a way to divert some of the water to the fields."

Amunhotep stepped in. "But the only sure way is to plead with the gods. Your Excellency, it may be most wise to engage in a sort of… ritual to appease the gods and to ensure the fertility of the land."

"What kind of ritual?"

He turned bright red. "It's a traditional ritual… involving you, in your role as the Living Aset and High Priestess of the Two Lands to… to… copulate with a man… and to ensure that Aset will smile upon the country and make the land fertile."

"And who would I lie with in this fertility ritual?"

"Who other than the representative of Osiris- the High Priest himself?" Wasithosef answered.

I gasped. "You are suggesting that I lay with a man other than my husband? I am a married woman! Can the High Priestess of Aset not perform this ritual in my stead?" I could see Mahado bristling at the suggestion.

"With all due respect," Lord Se-u-khamen replied, "the High Priestess normally performs this ritual on behalf of the Queen, but in dire times, it is best for the Living Aset herself to partake in the ritual. I know that it is not the best way, my Queen, but it is your duty to uphold as the Living Aset, and it may be the key to restoring fertility to the land."

I slumped in my chair. "Well… if I must… for the sake of the country, then I shall," I said, doing my best not to meet Mahado's eye. I would try to reason with him later, when we were alone in private. "When must the ritual be performed?"

"When Khonsu's entire face shows, which would be tomorrow night. Starting tonight, Your Excellency must fast, and abstain from intercourse with your husband, in order to prepare yourself for the ritual."

"And if this ritual were to fail, what then?"

"Then we must be prepared for the worst famine we have seen in years," Lord Sep-u-khamen replied grimly.

"I believe we have preserved a portion of every year's harvest for this purpose. If famine should occur, we shall open the granaries and ration out the grain to the people."

"Nevertheless, there is not enough to sustain them until next akhet, so this ritual had better be a success."

* * *

"Thank Ra that was over with!" I sighed in relief. Mahado remained sullenly silent as he walked beside me and wouldn't meet my eye. I could immediately tell why he was acting this way.

"Shall we walk along the river?" I asked lightly, hoping to ease over the tense awkwardness.

"I think you should meditate for the ritual tomorrow," he answered in a quipped voice.

I grabbed his arm. "Oh come, Mad, please don't be like that. I don't have any other choice! Do you think I actually want to bed the High Priest of Osiris? That man is at least as old as Father!"

"Still… the thought of him putting those gnarled hands on you…" he said, frowning. "Or maybe it won't be him at all; he can choose one of his younger acolytes to do his part in the ritual, someone who surely will be more to your liking... someone who will make this ritual easier for you to carry out."

"Oh please, don't tell me that you're jealous!" I said exasperatedly. "It's just one night that will benefit the kingdom, and then I will be back to being all yours, I promise!"

"But what if it happens again next year, and the next? Or there is some other matter that will require this task of you again? Technically, as High Priestess of the Two Lands, you could take as many men as you like, and come up with an excuse for the benefit of the kingdom, and nobody would think the less of you for it! You're the highest one in the land now, and you can do as you please; what use do you have for me?"

"For Ra's sake, Mad, just listen to yourself!" I snapped, losing patience with him. "Come, surely you must know by now that you are not just some temporary consort, like the consorts of the queens in faraway kingdoms. You're my one true husband, and this one favor to Egypt is not going to change that! Will you please get a grip?"

"What I'd like to do is get a grip on whoever will enjoy the pleasures of your body tomorrow night," he replied darkly. "I still loathe the idea, Jani. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll need to move everything I need for tonight into my other chamber." He turned on his heel and walked away.

Seeing that he had put an end to the argument when I wasn't done with him, I made to go after him, but I felt a strong hand on my shoulder holding me back. I turned around to see Karim, who had heard the entire exchange. "Don't, Jasana. Let him steam off for a bit, then his head will clear and his jealousy will ebb."

I sighed. "These moods that sometime get the better of him, I never thought him capable of such a temper!"

He chuckled. "Oh, men who find their wives in more powerful positions than they are will be prone to black moods and feeling inferior."

"He's hardly inferior to me; he's a Sacred Guardian! And he himself didn't want to be co-regent!"

"Even so, I think he chafes a little at you having all the authority, even though he does his best to hide it and be the loving, supporting husband. Give him some leeway, Jasana; after all, he's entitled to his temper tantrums, given how few of them there are."

"If only I didn't have to bed with some total stranger tomorrow night…" I said, shuddering. "I already can't wait to get it over with. It will be sheer misery having that old man touch me."

Karim scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe there is some other way…"

"If you can work something out, I'd be eternally in your debt," I said.

"No need to put yourself in my debt," Karim said, flashing me a grin. "Just consider it me doing a special favor for you as my good friend and as my Queen. Leave it to me." With that, he walked away.

"May Aset smile upon you in your endeavor," I muttered under my breath, hoping that he could work out a miracle that would save me from the ordeal waiting for me the next night.

* * *

_It is my duty, it is for the good of the kingdom… it is only for one night… surely Mad should have known that things like this come with the role of the Living Aset… It's not like I willingly chose to betray him and our marriage…_It was with such thoughts that I comforted myself as the maids prepared me for that night. I felt like an animal being prepared for a sacrifice, only the sacrifice was that of my body and not my life. They rubbed sweet-smelling oils everywhere on my body, including the area between my legs. When they had finished, they dressed me in an elaborate costume of a stunning red, Aset's special color. They painted me with extra care, and then put on a headdress bearing the cow horns with the sun disk in between them. When I looked at the mirror, I looked every inch like Aset herself. _With luck, she will take possession of my body tonight, and I will have no memory of this_, I hoped.

I felt numb as a statue as the barge carried me to the great temple complex. The High Priestess greeted me on the steps, and I took her cool hand in mine as she led me inside. The acolytes lined the way, shaking sistrums and intoning, "O Aset, Lady of the Two Lands, Great Mother, smile down upon Khemet and make her fertile… O Aset, Mistress of Magic, bless us with your power and give your heka to the land…"

I let the rhythmic chanting wash over me and take possession of my mind. The High Priestess handed me a goblet full of a golden liquid. I drank it, not asking what it was, and felt a sweet, pleasant, warm sensation filling my body.

The High Priestess opened the door to the inner sanctum and led me inside. "O Aset, Great Mother, Beloved Sister-Wife of Osiris, smile upon your servant, the Queen Sahm-Aset Jasana, who has come to do your bidding and play your part in this sacred ritual. Accept her sacrifice and let her be your instrument, bringing fertility to the land." She raised her arms in obeisance, and I did the same.

"O Great Mother," I chanted, "I humbly put myself in your hands; I am your ever willing servant."

The High Priestess took me by the hand and led me into the sacred chamber. As she waved her hand, two maidens appeared and removed my dress from my shoulders. I kept the headdress on, as the protocol for the ritual dictated, to adhere to my role as the Living Aset. The High Priestess poured oil onto me, and it dribbled down my hair and between my breasts. I felt lightheaded as the concoction I drank began its magic. After one last invocation, the High Priestess directed, "Wait here for Osiris." She and the two handmaidens left, leaving me alone.

The great fire burned before me, and in my trance it appeared like a seamless cloth of golden-orange. The doors opened, and I heard priests chanting. In the middle stood the one who would couple with me. He bore the mask of Osiris and chanted, "Through the fire I arise again from the dead, though I have been murdered by my brother Set, by your power, my Beloved One, I have returned to claim you as my own…"

I opened my arms to him. "I welcome you into my arms, my beloved Brother, my Osiris… come and take me, I am yours!" The priests removed his kilt and anointed him, and then closed the door, leaving the two of us alone.

He slowly approached the bed where I lay. I felt my heart hammering in my chest, and terror rose in my throat. I forced it down. _Let's just get it over with…_ I closed my eyes, steeling myself against his touch. Yet as he stroked my breasts, I thought his hands seemed strangely familiar, and I noticed a silver ring on one of his fingers. _It can't be… can it?_

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Why don't you remove the mask and see for yourself?" he replied.

Despite his efforts to disguise his voice, I would have recognized it anywhere. My hands clumsily reached out, having been slowed by the drug in the potion I drank. My blurry vision took in the unmistakable face of my husband. "Mad!" I nearly cried with relief and hugged him.

He smirked. "Surprise, surprise."

"What are you doing here? How did you manage this?"

"We have Karim to thank; he pulled a few strings, and bribed the High Priest of Osiris to make it so that I would be your partner in this ritual. After all, I am your true Osiris, so who better to take part in this ritual with you to make the land fertile?"

"I'm so glad it's you," I said, my tongue having trouble forming the words.

"I can see you took that potent potion that made you especially lusty," he said as he moved to kiss my neck. "Good, for I've taken the potion myself. Now, let's do our duty!"

"With you as my partner, it will be my pleasure!" I replied, giggling.

* * *

Much to my relief, the Nile overflowed its banks within a week, and the crisis was averted. The people praised my sacrifice, saying that I was surely blessed by the gods. I modestly accepted their praise, knowing that if I had failed, then surely their praise would have turned to jeers and curses. As I stood on the dais and received their cheers, Mahado flashed me a secret smile; only the two of us and Karim knew the truth of that night.

A few days later, I stood patiently on the dock, waiting for my brother to return from Alexandria. I prayed that he had been able to find a small measure of peace there. I knew that eventually his grief would heal, but hopefully his vacation would speed up the process.

I felt my heart leap as I spied the barge approaching. I could see Atem, as small as he was, run to the prow and wave to me, Mana by his side. I smiled and waved back. In no time at all the boat was pulling up the dock. I held out my arms to my brother. "Brother, and Mana, welcome home," I greeted.

Atem hurled himself into my arms, and I ruffled his hair. "Sister! It's so good to be home! Alexandria was simply wonderful! I'm surprised that you could bring yourself to leave that wonderful place and return to this dingy old palace," he said.

I laughed. "Oh, believe me, it was rather difficult to pry myself away from such a marvelous sight as the ocean, but I was comforted by the thought that now Mahado and I own the villa, and we will most certainly return there when we are able to."

"We had the grandest time!" Mana added. "We explored the city, and the library, and the temples, and we rode along the beach in the moonlight, and-"

"Well now, Mana, let's not give everything away all at once," Atem interrupted. "We have plenty of stories to tell you, but first I want to know what has been going on here while we were gone."

"Well, Hapi has heard our prayers and the Nile overflowed its banks. Although it's rather late in the season, it's better late than never, and the harvest should go smoothly come shomu. And this afternoon Shada shall be welcomed into the Millennium Court."

"We came back just in time then! I wouldn't want to miss Shada's initiation," Atem said happily, linking his arm in mine. "And I'm sure that you're enjoying your new role as Queen Regent; you get to be the boss and order everyone around! Doesn't it feel wonderful?"

I smiled wryly. On the contrary, I didn't have much taste for ruling, although I had proved to be adequate thus far. Shimon even praised my judgment, saying that I was proving to be as wise as Father. Although the job hadn't proved to be too stressful yet, I could feel it beginning to take its toll on me. "On the contrary, my good brother, I won't mind too much when I hand the reins of power to you."

There was just enough time for Atem to change and freshen up before we were to gather in the throne room. "I never had so much freedom in my life before, Jani!" Atem exclaimed as I waited in the anteroom for him. "If I wore a cloak with a hood to cover my hair and perform a little magic to temporarily change the color of my eyes, it was as if Mana and I were simple commoners! Nobody gaped at me, and we could go wherever we wished! It was wonderful!"

"I hoped that there were guards in disguise trailing you, for that is what I ordered them to do," I replied warily.

"Oh, they did," he answered carelessly, "but they were so far away, we hardly noticed them at all; they seemed to blend right into the crowd! Mana and I had many grand adventures, we even set free an entire flock of doves that they had caged and were selling! I wish you were there to see the look on the vendor's face; his expression was priceless!"

"Oh dear, looks like the two of you caused quite a bit of damage there," I said, shaking my head.

He grinned mischievously. "We didn't cause _too_ much damage," he protested. "We just had a little bit of fun is all. After all, we had to keep up our magic practice somehow."

I raised my eyebrow suspiciously as he sauntered out of his room in his regular royal finery. "Define 'a little bit of fun'."

"Well… Mana made some apples come alive and do a tap dance in one of the carts, I bewitched a man's beard to grow ridiculously long, and we made a man's drab gray outfit much more colorful, and there are other tales to tell too, but I shall save them for some other time. We're going to be late for the ceremony!"

"I believe that constitutes as more than just 'a little bit of fun'," I said, biting back a smile and trying to look stern, as a queen should. But I couldn't help finding amusement in my brother and Mana's pranks. "I shall look forward to hearing more of them tonight."

We paused before the door to the throne room. I took a deep breath and donned a regal expression. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Atem trying to do the same, but for a moment he let his solemn face break out into a silly expression, and I let out a laugh before I got a hold of myself once again. Shimon cast a chastising glance in our direction, and we sheepishly ascended the dais. I settled myself on the throne, and Atem took his place at my left.

I nodded my head, and Shimon called out, "Sacred Guardians, come forth!" The Guardians approached the dais, and took their places along the lower platform. "Shada, come forward!" Shada approached the dais next and knelt before the dais.

Shimon stepped forward, and, placing his hands on Shada's shoulders, said, "Now, having served my sovereign faithfully by wielding the Millennium Key since its creation twelve years ago, I gracefully relinquish my duty to you, Shada. May you guard the Key well and serve the Queen Regent and Prince faithfully with every bit of your strength and ability."

Shada took the Millennium Key from him and placed it around his own neck. Placing his hand over his heart, he vowed, "My Queen, rest assured that I, Shada, shall serve thee well. I do solemnly swear from this day forth to use the power of the Millennium Key to uphold ma'at in this country and bring forth peace to our beloved land."

"Lord Shada, I bid thee rise, and I welcome thee as the Sacred Guardian of the Millennium Key," I said formally, sweeping my arm in a gesture for him to rise and take his place among the Guardians. Shimon took his place at my right hand side. I stood up, and led the way to the banquet hall. "And now, we celebrate in your honor!"

* * *

The shaking of the sistrums drowned out the sound of the priests' chanting as they processed into the temple courtyard. I fidgeted under the loathsome headdress. Although I had to remain as still and dignified as possible, there was nothing I wanted to do more than fling the headdress off in a fit. _Please, let's just get this over with_, I inwardly groaned to myself.

Finally, the priestesses with the sistrums and the priests carrying the sacred shrine housing the statue of the god came to a halt. The four shrines sat gleaming in the afternoon sun. I descended the steps leading up to the temple, raised my arms in obeisance, and declared, "We praise thee, O Children of Nut, and we celebrate the anniversary of your birth. O great Osiris and Aset, you ruled Egypt well and taught us how to live as noble human beings, with the ways of ma'at and peace. O Aset, you brought us the gift of heka, teaching us your ways. We honor thee especially, as well as your siblings Sutekh and Nebthet."

The shrines were carried into the temple, and I bore the royal offering to each of the gods and chanted the various prayers, which I had diligently studied for days beforehand. A priest and priestess stood by, prepared to help me remember the prayers, but I needed no assistance, determined to play my role as the High Priestess of the Two Lands perfectly. Finally, the sacred ceremony was finished, and the crowd outside chanted the finishing prayer in unison.

We could not have returned to the barge soon enough. I settled next to Mahado, suppressing a groan of exhaustion. Mahado gently wrapped me in his arms, shielding me from the sight of everyone else.

"You performed your part perfectly, my love," he said as his hands tenderly removed the headdress and ran through my hair. "All those late nights of studying the prayers paid off."

I smiled wearily. "There's nothing I'd like more than to settle into bed and sleep for a week. But alas, the banquet awaits us."

"You shall have a refreshing bath and a good night's sleep afterwards, I promise you," he said soothingly. "I shall bathe you myself." I smiled slyly with anticipation.

Ra hung low in the House of Nut as we arrived at the palace. As we approached the banquet hall, I momentarily hesitated before the entrance, preparing to don my royal smile.

Mahado stood by me and gently squeezed my hand. "Come, Jani, this is a special occasion; perhaps we could see a genuine smile on that beautiful face of yours, hmmm? I feel as if I've been seeing this royal mask of yours for too long."

I let my face break into a big grin just for him. "That's better," he said, pulling me to him for a quick kiss. "And it looks a thousand times better than your royal court smile." He held out his arm to me, and I took it and swept into the din of the banquet hall.

After we had eaten our fill, Atem stood up, and a hush fell over the hall. He turned to me. "Sister, could you please indulge us with a story? I would like to hear about the birth of Osiris, Aset, Nebthet, and Sutekh."

I looked over to Mahado, and he answered, "Allow me to tell this one, my Prince; it is a particular favorite of mine." I saw some of the courtiers glance at each other; many already knew the story, but they would not dare object against the wishes of the Prince. "Now, in the old days, when the great Ra himself walked the land, he was told that if Nut were to bear children, one of them would end his reign among men. And so he laid a curse on the goddess, decreeing that she should never give birth on any day of the year. But Nut went to Thoth and asked for his assistance. Thoth, the wise and cunning magician, challenged Khonsu to a game of draughts. Round after round he kept winning, and Khonsu lost a little bit of light each time. Finally, Thoth had won enough light to create five days, and these he placed between the end of the old year and the beginning of the new. Thus the curse on Nut was lifted, for these days did not belong to any year. On the first she gave birth to Horus the Elder (3), on the second she gave birth to Osiris. On the following days she bore Sutekh, Aset, and Nebthet. And that is how the great gods were born into this world, and that is why Khonsu's light only shines for a portion of the month."

The courtiers clapped politely as my husband sat down. With a wave of my hand, the musicians and dancers came forth to entertain the crowd, and the merry din resumed.

"That was very well told, Mad," I said as I refilled his cup.

He took a small sip. "This wine is undiluted; are you trying to get me drunk, my love?" he teased.

"I had no idea," I said, taking a sip of my own. "That is strong indeed; here, this should help." I reached out and took a ewer of water and poured a small amount in. Swirling it, I handed it back to him.

He drained it, and then refilled it with the undiluted wine. "On the contrary, a little strong wine and a little drunkenness couldn't hurt," he said mischievously. "It would definitely make the rest of tonight very interesting if we were both slightly drunk." He filled up a cup and handed it to me. "So drink up, my love! This will make you forget about all your cares!"

* * *

The wine did make me forget temporarily about my cares, but for the most part, it seemed that my cares only increased from that point on. As we entered the new year, Shimon informed me that the kingdom's finances were in a dire situation.

"How is this possible?" I demanded angrily. "Bring me the royal treasurer!"

The man was ushered in. Trembling, he bowed before me. "How may I be of assistance to you, my Queen?"

"I wish to know why you have let the finances of the kingdom fall into such disrepair."

"Forgive me, my Queen, but as the King was dying, the embalmers had to be paid, as well as the extra workers for his tombs. However, my team of accountants failed to record the amount of money that was paid to them in wages. Rest assured, those accountants have been dismissed."

"I see," I said, ponderingly scratching my chin. "Bring me all of the accounts! I shall balance them myself!"

"If you will give me leave to say so, my Queen," Seto said, "perhaps you would be better off leaving such tedious work to one of us."

"I will not hear of it," I snapped. "This is what comes of me leaving such 'tedious work', as you call it, to someone else. I'm well educated in figures; I shall figure out the difference myself. And if I catch corruption, those responsible shall be duly punished. I'll be more than happy to leave that duty to you, Seto."

So the servants brought me all of the accounts, going as far back as five years. Night after night I stayed up late, huddled in the library, making calculation after calculation until the figures swam before my eyes. On more than one occasion, the only way Mahado managed to get me to bed was to slip a dose of chamomile into my wine and carry me to our chamber himself.

"You cannot go on like this, my love," he chastised gently one night as he wrapped a cloak around my shoulders. "You will wear yourself out; already I can feel the tension as hard as a rock in your shoulders."

"I have to sort out this horrible mess, Mad," I said stubbornly. "The finances of the kingdom are its lifeblood. Without money, nothing can be accomplished. If there is a shortcoming, then it must be made up for in taxes, and I would hate to extort even more money from the honest, hard-working people. And the priests would not be happy if I raise their taxes, already they are more heavily taxed than the people. Why didn't my father catch this error sooner?"

"Your father had many other burdens on his mind, which is why he had the bureaucracy to help him," he replied as he soothingly stroked my shoulder. "Come, let's call it a night. I'm not going to bed until you do."

I shook my head. "You go on ahead, Mad. I still have a whole sheet to check over, and then I will come, I promise you."

He pulled up a chair and sat down next to me. "Here, I shall help you; that will make your task easier. Then finally perhaps Senupi will quit whining; he misses your company, and so do I."

With his help, the task took half the time than it would have if I had done it alone. "Thank you, Mad." I gazed over the calculations. "What's this? For this past month, it says that this amount had been collected as taxes from the temple, but the account of our holdings in the treasury shows a shortcoming. Are you sure you calculated this correctly?"

"Yes," Mahado said, checking over his calculations. "And I just double-checked them, they are correct."

"But that means that somebody has been embezzling money that should belong to the kingdom!" I said, becoming furious. "Oho, the treasurer shall have a lot to answer to when I summon him tomorrow."

"Yes, but you're not going to fix the situation tonight," he said, leaning over to gently trail his tongue over my earlobe. "Come to bed, Jani," he murmured seductively. "It's the least you can do to reward me for my assistance."

I sighed; I knew resisting would be useless, especially when he employed such tactics against me. "Fine, you win this round, Mad. I shall call it a night. And I shall show you my gratitude for helping make my task easier."

"Excellent! Now come," he said, sweeping me up in his arms, "your soft pillow awaits you!"

* * *

The next day, the Chief Treasurer was seized for corruption and thrown into the dungeon. The kingdom seized his assets, which amply made up for the difference in funds. Now the Guardians were debating on how to punish the man; there had not been a corruption case of this magnitude in so long, and all the laws dictating punishment for such a crime had long been lost.

"I say that the man be drawn and quartered like a common criminal," Seto suggested with a cruel grin. "After all, what is the difference between his crime and a murderer's?"

"That would be unusually cruel, Seto," I interjected. "This man's crime, which is simply embezzling funds, is not of the same magnitude as taking a life. He warrants something more merciful."

After another hour, the debate still continued. Seto was still adamant about quartering the man, but Shada and Karim objected. I dismissed them for the time being; we would continue the discussion in the afternoon, and then it would be up to me to come to a decision. And for once, I found myself unable to come to a solid decision.

I made my way to the medical wing to see Lady Aseneit. She bowed upon seeing me. "My Queen! It's a pleasure to see you again; we've missed your presence here. How may I help you today?"

"I was wondering if I might be with child," I said. "A little over a month has passed, and my blood has yet to come."

She took my wrist and felt for my pulse. "It is too early to tell yet, Princess," she said. "Let's wait another month, and then, if your blood still hasn't come, then come consult me again. Also, look out for signs of your breasts swelling, or if you find yourself sick in the mornings. Those are sure signs of pregnancy."

I thanked her and made my way along the corridors with a flutter of hope, seeking refuge in the lotus garden. _Please, Heqet, please let me be with child_, I silently prayed.

I knew that there were nasty whispers about my failure to have conceived thus far. Although nobody dared utter these remarks when I was around, I had overheard a few men taunt Mahado, saying, "What's the matter, Guardian? Can't get your cock up into your wife? Is she not to your liking, or do you secretly prefer men? If I were her husband, I would surely have begotten a child on her by now!" I had rounded the corner at that time. Mahado had pinned the man to the wall, his eyes silently blazing with rage. Upon seeing me, he released him, and the man prostrated himself before me and begged my forgiveness for insulting my husband. I let the man go with a stern warning that I was never to hear such insulting remarks ever again from him or any of his companions. Even so, every time I held court, I could feel the eyes of the courtiers scanning me, looking for the signs of a child. I felt very much like an animal on display.

"Don't pay the taunts any mind, Jani," Mahado had said to me earlier. "I know that I let my anger get the better of me that one time, but I have since decided to ignore them. There will definitely be a child in time; I have no doubt of that."

Even though he didn't, I did. It was nearly two years now since we had married; surely I would have conceived by now, or else there was something wrong with me. After all, there were countless opportunities for us to conceive.

A shadow rounded the corner, and I could see that it was my uncle. He hesitated briefly upon seeing me. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to intrude on your haven, Jasana," he said. He approached me and sat down a short distance away. "If you will give me leave, shall I keep you company?"

"What do you want, Uncle?" I asked harshly; I still hadn't forgiven him for the crime he committed at Kul-Elna.

"I see that you're calling me 'Uncle' again," he said hopefully.

I clapped a hand to my mouth. "That was a mistake on my part," I retorted.

"Jasana," he said, sighing and sitting down near me. "Every person has their past, and has done things that they are not proud of, even though some have sinned more than others. Believe me when I say that I did it only because it was absolutely necessary. You know me; you know that I would have never been able to kill a thousand people if there was another alternative."

I looked away. "I'm not sure of what I know anymore, Akhnadin," I said quietly. "You've kept the truth about the birth of the Millennium Items a secret, and the fact that you had a family. How can I ever trust you again?"

"It is my hope that you will," he said gently. "After all, with both your mother and your father gone, I am the only parental figure you have left. You are young yet, and newly come to the throne. You still need guidance. You have always turned to me in your times of need. Please, rely on me now as you did then. I can see your doubt swirling in you, threatening to consume you. Let me stay those doubts and help you. I assure you, you can count on me."

I looked at him, shocked that he could read my thoughts so well. "How can I count on a man who has murdered a thousand people? Your sin will forever taint our relationship, Uncle, and that cannot change," I said sadly. "But oh, how I wish it could! What has happened to the Uncle that I knew so well and loved? Where has he gone?"

"I am still that man, Jasana," Akhnadin said softly. "I haven't changed. Even when you were young, still my sin weighed heavy in my heart, but you didn't know it then. How could I have burdened you with such a dark secret? You adored me, and I didn't want to lose your affection. But think- if you were in my place, what would you have done? Would you have stood by and let Egypt by slaughtered, or would you have taken any necessary steps to secure the kingdom, even if it must be secured through blood?"

I gazed at the lotuses thoughtfully. _He has a good point; what would I have done? I would have hated to kill a thousand people, and yet, more would have been killed if I wouldn't…_

"It is an unpleasant dilemma," I said. "I would never kill my own people in order to save my country, and yet, I would never stand idly by and watch every last one of my people die at the hands of an enemy. I suppose you chose the lesser of the two evils, although it still is a dark evil indeed."

He nodded solemnly. "I did it to safeguard the future for your father, for your brother, and for you. When you become a parent, you will understand what it's like to be willing to do anything for your child, even to kill."

I shuddered, unconsciously covering my hands with my belly. _Maybe he is right, but would becoming a parent eventually make me a murderer? After all, my child will be in danger as an offspring of the House of the Living Horus…_

"Speaking of which, is it possible that you are carrying a child?" I looked at him in shock. _How did he know?_ "I saw you go to Lady Aseneit, and you have been walking around with the spark of hope in your eyes. I have seen it in your mother, and many a woman," he explained, as if he had read my mind and seen the question that I had asked.

I saw no use in hiding the truth from him. "My blood has not come this month, and I went to Lady Aseneit to ask about it. She has said that if it doesn't come next month, I should go back and consult her."

My uncle regarded me intently, and there was a strange glint in his eye. This glint seemed to glow stronger as he said slowly, "Do you realize that if you have a child, and it is a son, then he will be the child of the current ruler of Egypt? Why not seize the throne for yourself, so that he shall one day sit on it? What mother would not want to see her son on the Horus Throne?"

I gasped. "But that would be treason! Atem is destined to rule and his sons after him! I could never seize the throne from him!"

"Ah, but the great Queen Hatshepsut did; she seized the throne from Tuthmosis III, her stepson, and ruled in her own right as Pharaoh! No woman has ever done that before. Now look how she is praised! It is your destiny to follow in the footsteps of your predecessor (4) and bring glory to Egypt! Why rule in your brother's name when you can rule in your own right?"

I rose to my feet and turned to face him, drawing up my shoulders and assuming the authority of the queen that I was. "That would be the ultimate betrayal, Uncle, and know this: even if I could rightfully do so, I would never! I have no wish to rule as Queen, and at the very first moment that he is ready, I will hand the reins of power to my brother, as I should! And you will speak no more of this for as long as you live! I will forget that you said any of that and overlook this treason just this once. But if you so much as breathe another word of the sort, I will see you imprisoned and cruelly executed, even if you are my uncle. And when my brother becomes Pharaoh, you had better swear on your life to protect him and uphold your vows as a Sacred Guardian! Do otherwise and I shall expose your crime. Do I make myself clear?"

My uncle's eyes widened, and then he bowed his head respectfully. "You have my word, my Queen," he said humbly.

I turned away from him, not letting him see the tears that fell down my face. "So much for you claiming to be the old Uncle that I loved. He would have never made such a blasphemous suggestion."

I turned and ran away to the stable. Leaning against Nephthys, I buried my face in her mane and cried, knowing that my relationship with my uncle was torn beyond repair. If I had known what would eventually come to pass, I would have ordered him executed right then and there. That remains my one regret. Maybe if I hadn't shown him mercy, Atem and the others would still be alive today, and this whole nightmare wouldn't have happened.

But that was not what the Seven Hathors had in mind. Akhnadin had already committed his sin, and compensation must be made. Only it would not be him who paid the price for his sin, but my brother, me, and the other Sacred Guardians.

* * *

**1- Akhet was the season in which the Nile overflowed its banks, depositing silt in the fields. This was essential to the planting of the wheat. **

**2- Hapi was the god of the Nile who ensured that the Nile overflowed its banks each year. He is depicted as a man with breasts and a swelling belly. **

**3- Horus the Elder is not to be confused with Horus, the son of Osiris and Aset. This is one of the oldest forms of Horus, although the latter version is the more popular. **

**4- Hatsheptsut originally ruled as a regent for her stepson before she seized the throne and crowned herself pharaoh in her own right, becoming the only woman besides Cleopatra to do so. She ruled in the 18th dynasty, and according to the manga, that is when Atem reigned as well. **

**Thanks for reading! And please leave a review too! I'm now back at school from Spring Break, sadly... but I'm proud to say that my updates are slowly catching up with the chapters I've written! I'll continue to update as I can. Thanks for sticking with me thus far!**


	39. The Threat of War

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh**

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* * *

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"The very nerve he had! Suggesting that I seize the throne for myself! The day I do that is the day I give up my heka!" I stormed to Mahado later that night.

"I know that you're angry with your uncle, Jani, but you need not take out that anger on my poor shoulder blades. You're rubbing a little too hard."

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said, softening my touch. "I didn't even realize it."

Once I had finished my massage, he rubbed some jasmine-scented soap on my back. "That is indeed unlike him; I find this change disturbing."

"So do I," I replied. I turned my head towards him. "Do you think I did right in showing him clemency just this once, or should I have arrested him for his treasonous words?"

"Relax, Jani- your muscles are as hard as rocks!" I sighed and did my best to let my stiff shoulders soften under his touch. "I think you did right, my love. He shall heed your warning so as to keep his crime a secret, and he knows better than to raise such a suggestion again. His dark past is your key to holding his loyalty. Besides, despite all that he has done, he is still your uncle, and I know that you wouldn't want to inflict such a punishment on your own kin."

"Indeed, you speak true. Perhaps that is my one weakness; if my own flesh and blood were to go against _ma'at_, I don't think I could punish them. Or at least, if I had to, then it would be the hardest thing I would have to do."

"Hopefully you won't ever have to," he said reassuringly. "And that is not necessarily a weakness; it just shows how much you love them. Love is the strongest of forces, Jani. I think you, of all people, should know that by now. It was love that enabled you to find me when I was attacked that one day, and it was love that enabled you to save me from the darkness. It was love that enabled Aset to do the impossible and bring her husband back from the dead. Surely, you can see, it is the greatest of all powers."

"Yes," I said, wrapping my arms around him and kissing him. "But if it is the greatest power there is, then why can't it make my uncle the man he once was? I can't believe I'd ever say this, but the relationship between us is as good as gone, and he himself buried it in the sand and tainted it with the blood on his hands. My own beloved uncle, who I had always looked up to since I was a child…"

"It was his choice," he said as he stroked my hair. "He chose to make the sacrifice for the kingdom. Likewise, it is your choice to sever the relationship with him because of this, and I do not blame you, although I wish that somehow, you could overlook this and forgive him. But I know how strongly you feel about this atrocity, and if I were in your place, I would feel the same. So do not let his choice disturb your thoughts. That is already many years past us. The only thing we can do is to move forward and do our best to atone for this crime."

"But that's just it, Mad. I fear that this crime will bring a curse on us all. The gods will demand compensation in blood, and what if the one who pays the price is not my uncle, but me, you, Atem, and all the other Guardians?"

"The gods will deal out the just punishment when the time is right. Ma'at shall have her revenge. Just have faith and leave it to them," he said. "The best that you can do is to leave everything to their will and serve your role as their faithful servant."

* * *

I awoke the next morning with a severe cramping in my abdomen, and I saw that my shift was stained with blood. I had never been so relieved to have my blood come. If my child would become a contender for the throne, I found myself having a seed of a doubt about having children.

"Are you feeling unwell, Jani?" Mahado asked anxiously. "Perhaps you should take a break from your duties today."

"Nonsense; I've had cramps before. They're just more painful than normal this month. I'll just take the concoction that will ease them."

"Very well then," he said hesitantly as he helped me dress.

"Mad, you know that even when Atem takes the throne, any child of ours will be a contender until he has children of his own. For if, Ra forbid, anything was to happen to him, I'd be the next in line."

"Indeed; I'm well aware of this. Why this fear, Jani? You yourself are determined to keep the throne safe until Atem comes of age. What is there to worry about?"

"I don't want my brother having a rival for the throne," I said. "Maybe it's best to not have a child until the throne is safe in his hands."

"I don't think that will be necessary," he replied gently, putting a hand on my belly. "The gods will see to it that the throne will be safe for your brother, and they will send us a child when the time is right."

"I find your unshakeable faith admirable, my love," I said. Even though my faith had strengthened since that incident where Aset had heard my prayers, I sometimes found myself questioning my faith. Although I did my best to ignore these questions and to suppress them, a small kernel of doubt still lay deep in my heart.

He handed me a hard-boiled duck egg for my morning meal. "Faith in the gods is what has sustained me through everything- my mother's and uncle's deaths, my ordeal with the Millennium Ring. It was through my faith that I was able to forgive myself for everything that I did when the darkness took me. And I know that it will see us through everything that is to come." He glanced at the sundial, and then gulped down the remainder of his egg. "Come, it is time for the morning audience."

We made our way to the throne room. As I settled down into the Horus throne, the Guardians knelt before me and made their morning obeisance. "What affairs shall we discuss today, Sacred Guardians?" I asked, squaring my shoulders.

"The ambassador from Persia is on his way to the kingdom, my Queen," Shimon announced. "This will be a crucial visit; we must keep the peace treaty that your father made. If they should break it, they would be a formidable enemy to face."

"I see," I said.

Seto stepped forward. "My Queen, we have apprehended two robbers. Shall we perform the Millennium Trial?"

"I don't think that is necessary; let's just throw them into the dungeon," I replied.

"But my Queen, with a potential enemy brewing, I think it would be wise if we were to harness as many kas as possible to protect the kingdom." Shimon raised his eyebrows at Seto's boldness.

Despite my annoyance with his forwardness, I could see the logic in his argument. "Very well, Lord Seto. Proceed."

The guards brought forth the two robbers, both of whom were trembling.

"Thou shalt now be judged by the power of the Millennium Items. Priest Shada, begin!" Seto declared.

Shada held out the key before each of the robbers. "Their souls harbor medium-level kas," he said.

"And now, with the power of the Millennium Eye, I shall draw forth these kas," Akhnadin announced. The eye glowed, and a dark cloud flowed out of each man's mouth. They each took the form of a menacing ka. "Priest Seto, use the power of your Millennium Rod to seal these beasts into stone!"

Seto stepped forward, ostentatiously twirling his rod. The servants lugged forward two immense stone tablets. "Millennium Rod, harness the powers of these kas and seal them into stone, I beseech thee!" With a grunt, he channeled the kas into each of the stone tablets. "Wicked Worm Beast, I hereby seal thee into stone and turn thee into a servant for the kingdom! Hitotsu-me Giant, I hereby seal thee into the tablet yonder. Relinquish your power!" The two creatures appeared on each of the tablets, and the servants hauled them to be housed in the Shrine of Wedju with the other ka tablets.

Since the kas were only medium-level, they had not taken a strong enough hold in the men's souls to be connected to them. Therefore, they were still living at the end of the trial. "Now they can be housed in the dungeon," Seto said smugly.

"Hold on, Priest Seto," Akhnadin said. Since we have extracted the dark creatures that have made them do their evil bidding, by the word of the law, we are to set them free." He turned to the guards. "See them to the gates." The men were then taken away.

I sank back onto the throne. Karim stepped forward. "My Queen, I have recently checked the number of our troops, and it seems that many have served out their terms. As such, our troops have diminished somewhat since the reign of your great father."

I tried to suppress a smile at Karim's court formality, which I knew to be only a mask he wore when it was necessary. "Indeed, if, Ra forbid, an enemy were to attack us, we would need to rally more troops in order to adequately defend ourselves," Shimon said.

I nodded. "Very well. I give you permission to go out to every corner of the kingdom and enlist more troops to safeguard the country."

Shada came forward. "My Queen, some of the temples are requesting funds for renovation."

"Which ones?"

"The Temple of Thoth in Abydos, the Temple of Hathor in Dendera, and the Temples of Sekhemet and Nekhebet in Karnak."

"I shall have to consult the accountants to make sure that there are sufficient funds to grant them," I said. "The kingdom comes first. If there isn't enough money, I'm afraid the temples shall have to rely upon offerings for the funds."

Shada bowed. "Very good, my Queen."

"If there is no other business," I said, rising to my feet, "then I hereby dismiss you for the morning."

* * *

As I was walking, I came across Aramen and Semni the courtyard reserved for practicing magic. Mahado and I had spent many hours here in earlier years. Aramen had her arms raised, ready to fire her conjured swords at some effigies. Semni was standing behind her, saying, "Your arms are raised too high, Lady Aramen; if you lower them like so, then you will have more control." He gently laid his hand on her arm and pushed it down. I thought I could see a faint blush on Aramen's cheeks. I didn't want to interrupt them, but Aramen had already seen me.

"My lady Queen!" she exclaimed in greeting, dropping to a curtsy. Semni consequently bowed.

"No need for such formalities, Aramen and Semni," I said lightly. "I am taking a break from my queenly duties. I see that you have been making great progress with your magic, Aramen. I'm sorry that I cannot teach you as often as before, what with my new duties."

Semni stepped closer to Aramen. "I shall gladly take on her teaching, Your Majesty. It is the least I can do to repay her for her diligent attendance on me when I was burned. And it shall be my pleasure to teach such an eager and talented student." He gazed at her fondly, and her faint blush became deeper.

I looked at the two of them; the chemistry between them couldn't be more apparent. "I'm glad that she will have such a capable teacher in you, Semni,:" I said. "I hope that you shall see that she is a most exceptional student and woman." I passed Aramen a wink and continued on my way.

* * *

Five days later, the Guardians and I welcomed the Persian ambassador, Dhasdaf, into the court. He bowed before me with a flourish and said, "I send greetings on behalf of my king, Urahammi. He bids me say that he hopes that we shall be great friends as his father and yours were friends."

I eyed his flowery words with suspicion. "Indeed, it is my greatest hope that there will be peace between us," I said, emphasizing the word. "I hope that we shall continue to be allies. Tonight, we shall feast in your honor, and tomorrow, when you are sufficiently rested, we shall discuss business. First, the servants shall see you to your chambers." I made sure that he was given the finest guest chamber in the palace; he would not be able to complain of being ill-treated while staying as my guest.

He bowed politely and flashed me a charming smile before withdrawing. _He's a young and decent-looking man_, I thought to myself. _A shame that he is a servant of the King of Persia and not a courtier here. _

Apparently I wasn't the only one who thought so. That night, I noticed that the other noblewomen paid special attention to him, hanging on his every word as he regaled tales of the court in Persia.

"Of course," he said, noticing that I was listening, "the lovely court of your Queen Regent and her brother here rivals that of my king, I must admit. And with such a lovely woman as my hostess, I shall find it hard to bring myself to return to my kingdom!" He smiled to me and raised his goblet before me.

I smiled politely and raised my glass to him. "Perhaps keeping Persia as our friend will be an easier task than I thought; their ambassador seems harmless enough," I said to Mahado

"Indeed," he replied, showing a rare hint of sarcasm. "He does have a charming way about him."

"But of course," I replied, sensing a subtle surge of jealousy in my husband, "he is no man compared to you."

Appeased, he smiled and pulled me to him for a quick kiss. "That is most reassuring to hear from your lips, my love. However, I would beware of this ambassador. He may be handsome and charming and friendly, but there is something about him, and I can't quite put a finger on what it is exactly, that tells me that there is more to his intentions in coming here under that pretty face and flattering words of his."

* * *

Keeping Mahado's words in mind, I found myself entering the throne room the next day with more apprehension than usual. I tried to reassure myself that Mahado was being overly cautious, as he usually was. But, no matter how much I wanted to think otherwise, a part of me knew that he was telling the truth and that I had to be on my guard.

With a quick kiss I let Mahado move to the regular entrance, while Atem and I made our way to the royal entrance. I swept in, with Atem and Shimon following behind. The Guardians were already waiting for us. After I settled down on the Horus Throne, they made their obeisance, and the ushers showed Dhasdaf into the throne room.

He bowed and flashed me a smile. "The greetings of the gods to you, Queen Regent Sahm-Aset Jasana."

"And to you, Dhasdaf," I said politely. "Now that you have settled in and are refreshed, shall we discuss business?"

"Indeed," he replied. I gestured for a servant to bring him a chair, and the servant immediately rushed to do my bidding. After he was seated, Dhasdaf said, "As you know, Your Majesty, my king's father and your father were bitter rivals for a long time."

"I am well aware of that," I said evenly.

"However, when your father proved his might with the magic of the Millennium Items, he was able to forge a peace treaty with us, thus commanding our respect. If we had not agreed to the terms of this peace, then we would have lost a great portion of our domain to your father. He retained the most precious ports, which have contributed to Egypt's prosperity. Tell me, now that your father has passed into the Hall of Amenti (1), and your brother is but eleven, how do you intend to uphold Egypt's might?"

I sat as tall as I could in my throne. "I intend to uphold it as my father did. I am just as competent as he is, and in time, you and your king shall be assured of that if you harbor any doubt," I said with the slightest hint of a menacing edge in my voice.

"Indeed, but he passed on his Item to your brother, not to you. Without the power of an Item, you do not harbor the same power as your father did, and your brother is yet learning of his power."

"Why you…" Atem growled, stepping forward, but I stayed him with a sweep of my hand.

"Remember yourself, Brother," I warned in a low voice. I turned towards Dhasdaf. "I can see why you and your king would see Egypt as being weak now that my father has passed, but I must warn you- such assumptions are dead wrong. Egypt stands as strong as ever, and for your own sake, I must warn against any thoughts of moving against us, for they shall only result in terrible consequences for you."

"Indeed?" Dhasdaf challenged. "Well then, how about a little test of your power, Your Majesty? If you pass this test, then I shall report to my king of your might and we Persians shall uphold your wishes. But if you should fail, then we shall ask that you give us the ports of Tanis and Alexandria."

"How dare you challenge the Living Aset, you miserable wretch!" Seto snarled. "You cannot really think that the great Queen would lower herself to fight with the likes of you! That is why we Guardians are here, to fight in her stead and to rid her company of the likes of scum such as you!"

"Seto!" I gasped. "I did not give you leave to speak for me!" I faced Dhasdaf. "I shall take on your test, and rest assured- I will not fail! And even if I did, then you would have to pry those ports from my dead hands. I will never willingly give them up; you would have to engage every one of your soldiers in a war if you want to have even a chance of winning them! Name your test!"

"Simply a shadow battle," he said. "I shall show you a taste of my king's power; I will have you know that I am the most powerful and capable magician in Persia, and my king's loyal servant. If you can defeat me, then you pass the test."

"Such a foolish challenge! Surely you must know that with my might combined with that of the Guardians, you cannot defeat me!"

"Of course, I couldn't, but this is just between you and me, and to ensure that…" he chanted a spell, and each of the diadiankhs on my Guardians' arms froze over in ice. Even Atem's was rendered useless. "That shall ensure that they cannot come to your aid, although soon you shall find yourself wishing that they could!"

I activated my diadiankh, undaunted. "Even without the help of the Guardians, I still can call upon countless creatures to come to my aid, while you must make do with your own natural ka! Let's see if you are so bold and cocky when you face my army!"

He smirked. "Bring it on; my ka is powerful enough to crush them all!"

"Let's see then. Diaha!" I cried.

"Behold, my Dark Eradicator Warlock!" A great figure of a man appeared before me, clad in sweeping purple robes and bearing a long rod made of electrum, with a vortex of power swirling at the tip.

There was a collective gasp from the Guardians. "Incredible! His power is enormous!" Shada exclaimed.

"One of the most powerful creatures I have ever seen!" Akhnadin said, his Eye glowing. "Jasana, none of the creatures in the Shrine of Wedju are strong enough to face it! You must call forth your own ka, for only she has power to rival that of his!"

I stood in awe for a moment, amazed that he could harbor such a creature in his soul. _What has he done, or what has happened to him that his ka would be this strong?_ I wondered. Pulling myself together, I fiercely nodded and stretched out my hand. "Empress Witch, thy mistress calls thee into battle! Come forth!" My ka appeared by my side.

"Since I am but your guest, I shall allow you to make the first move," Dhasdaf said, sweeping me a mock bow.

I frowned. "You'll regret that; this shall seal your doom. Empress Witch, attack with Spell of Justice!" My ka chanted a spell, and chains bound his Warlock. "This shall drain your mage of his strength, eventually choking him."

Dhasdaf only smirked. His mage chanted another spell, and the chains instantly disappeared. "My mage, through his use of the spell 'Negate Attack', has averted your advance! Now, my mage, counterattack!" The Warlock raised his wand above his head and charged towards my sorceress.

"Magical Hats, activate!" I cried. Four large black hats appeared, concealing my monster. One of the empty hats was destroyed, and my ka was safe.

"That trap is useless! If you want your ka to be safe, then you cannot attack me, and that means that I can attack again. Warlock, attack the hat in the middle!" His ka did as he commanded.

A beam of purple light shot out from the Dark Eradicator Warlock's wand and aimed straight for the hat.

"You activated my spell, the Swords of Revealing Light!" Golden swords appeared around his monster, pinning him in place. He couldn't even move his wand.

Dhasdaf's smirk grew wider. "It is time you learn of my warlock's special ability."

The swirling vortex at the end of Dark Eradicator Warlock's wand began to glow, and I felt an excruciating pain stab through my heart. I checked my ba gauge, and to my horror, I saw a quarter of my ba drain away. "What's this? What have you done?"

"My mage has a special ability (2); every time you or I use a magic spell, your ba decreases by a quarter."

I gasped. _Oh no… this is not good. Magic is crucial to my strategy. If I cannot use any spells, I'm done for!_

"What cheap trick is this?" Seto demanded. "Lift the curse on us so that we can really see who the more capable wizard is."

"You are no match for me," Dhasdaf said arrogantly. "I know the Queen Regent is the most powerful of you all, and I had specific orders to duel her, and only her. This will be your demise!" He chanted another spell, and then the Magical Hats disappeared, leaving my ka exposed. "Now, I shall use my heka to strengthen my mage, using a spell called the 'Eye of Illusion'. And you know what that means." I fell to my knees as another quarter of my ba drained from my body. "Now, my mage, finish her off!"

"Not so fast!" I gasped. "I activate my Mirror Wall!" A wall of glass appeared between my ka and the Warlock. "This trap will halve your mage's attack ability, and halt its attack as well." _There is only one way to defeat him_, I thought to myself_, and that is to kill him before he kills me! _"Now, my Witch, attack him!"

My ka did as I told, but then Dhasdaf chanted another spell, crying, "I activate Mirror Force!" A mirror shield appeared, and my ka's attack bounced right off and aimed straight for her. But then, the golden beam burst into a cloud of golden dust. "What's this?" he demanded. "Your ka should have been destroyed by your own attack!"

"Empress Witch cannot be destroyed by her own attack; she has the power to destroy her own spell," I explained. "And now, I shall summon the Mystical Elf!" The blue-skinned woman appeared before me and chanted a spell, her melodious voice filling the room with her enchanting song. I felt enough of my strength returning to rise to my feet. "Thanks to her, I have gained back a portion of my ba." My ba gauge was now three-quarters full. "And now, to take you out." I held out a coin before me. "I shall flip this coin. If the face shows, then the value of your ka's attack ability shall be deducted from your ba. If it does not, then I take damage equivalent to the attack ability of my own ka."

Dhasdaf laughed. "You are more foolish than I thought, Your Majesty! You would wager your life and the fate of your kingdom on the toss of a coin?"

"The gods are smiling down on me," I said confidently. "I will not lose this wager. Toss!" The coin flew in the air, and then I caught it and slammed it against my palm. _Please… Aset, let it be in my favor!_ I lifted my hand. "The head shows!" Dhasdaf groaned in pain as his ba decreased.

"Now you are in the lead, my Queen!" Shimon called out. "Now is your prime opportunity to destroy him!"

Dhasdaf straightened, his determination set in his face. "That opportunity shall not materialize! I shall use a trap spell to remove your Mirror Wall." After some chanting, my mirror wall dissolved before me. "Now, my Warlock, use the Book of Secret Arts to increase your attack ability!" A great tome appeared before the Dark Eradicator Warlock, and, after leafing through a few pages, he chanted a spell and became larger. "It is a magic spell, and now your ba shall equal mine." I fell to my knees again as my ba decreased, returning to half value. "Now, my mage, attack her ka!"

"D-Divert Attack," I panted, breathlessly chanting a spell. The force of the attack wiped out the Mystical Elf instead, sending me sprawling on the floor.

"That may have saved your life for now, Your Majesty, but you still lost some ba as a result. Just how much longer can you last? You hardly have enough energy to summon another monster in your defense. Face it, you are done for! You cannot defeat me, and your kingdom and life are forfeit!"

"I shall n-never surrender," I whispered, struggling to raise myself on my arms. I chanted a spell, and a net encased his ka. "I used Gravity Bind; this will prevent your monster from attacking me. Now I have two opportunities to wipe you out."

He crossed his arms smugly. "Very well; use those opportunities wisely; you shall be dead if you waste them!"

I wracked my brain, trying to recall every tactic and spell that Shimon had taught me. I mentally eliminated all the magical spells, which would drain me of my ba. That only left the trap spells.

"Jani, please, you mustn't give up!" I turned around to Atem. "Every ka has a weakness; you just have to find it! I know you can do it, Sister! Have faith in your monsters, and have faith in yourself!"

"I summon the Forgiving Maiden to defend myself," I murmured. My monster appeared before my ka.

"Since I cannot attack; I shall cast a spell that will revive one of the monsters that has been killed. I choose to revive your Mystical Elf, and use her abilities to renew my ba. And with this one spell, I achieve two things: I strengthen myself and weaken you at the same time."

I cried out in pain as my ba decreased to a quarter. "No! Jani!" Mahado and Atem cried out in unison.

Dhasdaf laughed evilly. "Now, use your last opportunity before my ka kills you."

I silently set a trap and then commanded, "Empress Witch, this is our last chance! Use your Rain of Splendor and attack his mage!"

"I now cast a trap spell, the Spell-Binding Circle! Your ka is trapped and cannot attack! Now, my mage, attack!"

"Activate, my Magical Cylinders!" Two cylinders appeared, and the Warlock's purple beam went in one and went out of the other, aiming back at him.

"Warlock, shield yourself!" The Dark Eradicator Warlock put out his hand, and the purple beam disappeared in a big poof. "Well, I must say, I am impressed that you have managed to hold out this long, Your Majesty! Even without the use of your magical spells, you still have proven to be a formidable enemy. Too bad that I must kill you on my next turn. Now make your last move, and if the gods are indeed smiling upon you, then perhaps they may save you!"

It was all I could do to stay conscious. I knew that I could not use magic to strengthen my monster, or else I would kill myself. I cast a trap, the same one that Isis had used to defeat me. "I use 'Sword and Shield' to switch your Warlock's attack ability with its defense ability. Now I shall destroy you with my Empress Witch's Spell of Demise!" My ka directed a light blue beam towards the Dark Eradicator Warlock."

Dhasdaf quickly chanted another spell, and my beam was halted. "I use 'Call of the Earthbound' to redirect the attack!" The redirected attack hit one of the columns, sending it crashing to the ground and the soldiers running. "Now, farewell, Your Majesty. Dark Eradicator Warlock, deliver the final blow!"

I closed my eyes, waiting for the blow of the attack. "I'm sorry… Atem, I did my best, for you, and for Egypt. Farewell, Mad, my love…" I gazed towards my friends, my husband, and my brother, wanting their faces to be the last that I saw.

Much to my surprise, Atem's Millennium Pendant was glowing, and he appeared to be in a trance. A shield encased my ka and protected her from the blow of the attack.

"What's this? What's going on?"

"This is not over yet," Atem spoke, but it was not his voice. His diadiankh was activated, and a great soldier in black armor appeared.

"I warned you Persians," the soldier spoke, and I gasped. _It's Father! But how is this possible?_ "I warned that if you so much as laid a finger against my children and my kingdom, then it will be your doom. Farewell." The soldier's sword glowed, and with a rainbow beam it attacked the ambassador, and he screamed as his Warlock was killed and he collapsed to the ground. The glow of the Millennium Pendant faded and Atem collapsed into Shimon's arms.

"Jani!" Mahado ran to my side and cradled me in his arms.

"Mad, what just happened?" I asked, barely able to stay conscious.

"You saved Egypt, my love," he murmured softly, stroking my cheek and lifting me up. "You defeated the ambassador and won the match. Now let's get you some rest." I leaned against his shoulder, relief flooding over me as I closed my eyes.

* * *

_I reel over in pain as the Dark Eradicator Warlock annihilates my Empress Witch. Dhasdaf's laughter rang throughout the air as he said, "Yes… Egypt is ours…"_

"No!" I cried, my eyes flying open. I clutched at my heart, only to realize that I was still alive, which meant that Empress Witch had not been destroyed. I sank back against the pillows in relief. I looked around me frantically, only to realize that I was in the bedchamber completely alone; not even Senupi was there. _Where has that little rascal gone to?_ I wondered. He rarely was not with me, unless he was with Atem. _That must be where he is_, I answered for myself. He divided his time almost equally between my brother and Mahado and me.

I let my eyes drift to my sundial, and then I bolted out of bed_. I'm going to be late for the meeting of the Millennium Court! Where's Mad? Why in the House of Geb didn't he wake me? _

I had just pulled on one of my dresses when Mahado came in, whistling a favorite tune of his. Senupi trotted at his heels. "Ah, you are awake, but that means you have deprived me of the pleasure of sweeping you from the bed and surprising you," he said, pursing his lips in a mock pout.

"Why did you let me sleep so late? I'm going to be late for the meeting!"

"But you're not going anywhere today, my love," he said, kissing me lightly. "Have you forgotten what day it is today?"

"It's just any ordinary-" I began, and then stopped in mid-sentence. _Oh Ra, that's right, I turn nineteen years old today! How could I have forgotten?_ I smacked myself in the forehead. "Oh, that's right, I forgot…" I said, laughing.

Mahado smiled and pulled me into another kiss, deeper this time. "Happy birthday, Jani," he whispered.

"And happy belated birthday to you, Mad," I replied as I returned his kiss. He had insisted on waiting until my Naming Day (3) so that we could celebrate together.

"So, as my pre-chosen gift," he said, sweeping me up in his arms, "I get you to myself for the entire day."

"But what about my queenly duties?" I objected. "I need to make obeisance in the Shrine of Aset, and meet with the Guardians, and-"

"And your brother has kindly agreed to take over all your duties and relieve you of having anything to do with the kingdom for today," Mahado said, laughing. "By Thoth, even on your birthday you worry yourself with such things. You even forgot for a moment that it was your Naming Day! And I have a very special day planned for you."

I sighed and leaned my head against his shoulder. "It would be nice to take a day off, but what about you? How have you managed to wheedle yourself out of your duties?"

"I had notified Shimon and your brother well in advance of this day. They agreed that today, you are all mine, and everybody else shall celebrate your birthday tomorrow. Today, it's just the two of us, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Semni has kindly agreed to take my place just for today."

"Maybe I should check on Atem, just in case," I said uncertainly.

"He'll be fine, my love," he replied, tightening his grip on me. "He'll have Shimon there to help him. Besides, he specifically requested me to tell you not to worry. 'Just think of it being practice for me for the day I take over as Pharaoh,' he had said. He also added that you tend to worry about the throne too much."

I chucked. "Well, I can't seem to help myself; it comes with the job."

"Well, today, I shall make you forget all about your job, just you wait," Mahado said mischievously. "Ah, here we are. First gift: your bath." He slid my dress off me and lowered me gently into a tub of water sprinkled with rose petals.

"Rose water," I said, inhaling the scent. "How lovely!"

"And that is only the beginning," he said as he shed his clothing and joined me.

* * *

It was a day of heavenly bliss. After taking our sweet time bathing together, we dressed and went on a boat ride down the Nile for the entire afternoon. We feasted on a picnic that Mahado had packed and watched the ibises, cranes, crocodiles and hippos go about their daily activities as the boat floated lazily down the Nile.

Some children were playing ball by the river while their mothers did the laundry, and I smiled to myself, thinking of the children that Mahado and I would surely have. Mahado gathered me closer to him, and I could tell that he was thinking of the same thing as he watched the children playing. I imagined him playing catch with a little boy that looked exactly like him. I closed my eyes, trying with all my might to will the child into existence. Later, some girls were gathering water, and they waved to us. We returned the wave, relishing in the fact that they seemed completely unaware that they were waving to the Queen Regent and a Sacred Guardian. Perhaps they thought that we were mere nobles taking a day cruise along the river.

We returned to the palace at sunset, and Mahado had arranged for a romantic dinner in our chambers. After we had eaten our fill, Mahado looked out to the window. "It's a full moon tonight," he remarked, and a mischievous smile spread across his lips. "Come, it's too fine a night to be kept indoors." I knew instantly what he meant; he wanted to ride to our special oasis.

Nephthys and Bata were waiting at the gates to their stalls, as if they had been expecting for us to come. We quickly saddled them, and then we were on our way flying across the silver sand. For the first time in a long time, I felt truly free of all my burdens and responsibilities. As I let the sensation of Nephthys's smooth gallop wash over my body, I was starkly reminded of all the days when we would ride to the oasis together, when we were much younger, and how our mothers would calmly trot up after us, gently chiding us for riding so fast.

Mahado dismounted first, and then helped me down. Seeing the nostalgic smile on my face, he asked, "What were you thinking about?"

"I was just thinking about all those times when we outraced our mothers here to the oasis," I said, chuckling.

"Oh yes, and how they would mockingly scold us for riding so fast and out of their sight," he said as he conjured a soft blanket on the sand for us to sit on. As we settled down, he continued, "I always thought that I saw a secret smile pass between them during those times. Do you think they anticipated that we would fall in love?"

"Maybe they had already sensed it," I said, snuggling close to him. "After all, the bond between us sparked instantly; it was as if it had always been decreed by the gods and was simply waiting for the right moment to come into existence."

"I'd like to think so," he said. "I knew it must have been their greatest wish."

"I must have loved you from the very beginning," I murmured softly as I watched Khonsu's silver light dance on the waves lapping against the sand. "Even if I was only four and didn't know what such feelings were."

"I thought I felt something special from the moment I laid eyes on you, and it only became stronger when we forged the rings," Mahado said, linking our fingers so that our silver rings brushed against each other. He gently lay down, drawing me with him, and we gazed at the myriads of akhs twinkling down at us. I knew that Nebatet and Mother were somewhere up there, and I thought of them looking down at us, who were now husband and wife, and smiling and congratulating themselves on facilitating our meeting.

Mahado gently kissed my earlobe, and then moved his kisses to my brow, my eyelids, my cheeks, and finally, passionately, my mouth. "Do you know," he murmured in between his kisses, "the first night I came here alone, I vowed that not only I would take you here one night so that you could see this beautiful place in its nocturnal glory, but I also vowed that I would take you here so that I can fulfill one of my most desired fantasies at the time…" With that, his kisses moved to my neck, and lower, his hands beginning their expert caresses.

I responded with equal passion, my hands moving to his belt. "Well then, it's time to make that fantasy a reality," I whispered naughtily.

We made love sweetly on the silver sand, and then gazed up at the akhs in sky, counting how many of them fell to the House of Geb. It was a common old wives' tale at the time that whenever one of those silvery akhs fell down, it became a new life inside a woman's belly. As we counted each one, I thought of other couples who must have been doing the same thing we were doing, and I prayed that one of them would fall down and quicken in my own womb. I sighed, staying off the longing. Surely it was only a matter of time and patience before it happened. I would have loved to stay out there for the entire night, but I knew that the next day I had to return to my duties. When our yawns became impossible to ignore, Mahado and I remounted our horses and made our way back to the palace and the cool softness of our own bed.

* * *

Several days later, we received the worst news.

"My Queen," Karim reported, "we have received reports from our spies that King Urahimmi is assembling troops and preparing to invade Egypt from the northeast."

I leapt to my feet. "What? But I defeated his ambassador, passing the test! I thought that meant that he would leave Egypt in peace!"

"Unfortunately," he replied grimly, "he believes that you did not win that battle; your brother delivered the final blow, and he thinks that you somehow used your magic wiles to enable your brother to assist you. Therefore, he does not feel obligated to uphold his word."

"That snake," Atem snarled. "I knew he wouldn't keep his word."

I sighed. "So, have you been able to rally more troops?"

He nodded. "Indeed; the news has spread like fire throughout the kingdom, and many young men have willingly signed up. We just need to solidify a strategy this afternoon, and we shall be on our way on the morrow. May I request permission to lead the troops myself?"

I stepped down and placed both my hands on his shoulders. "I would trust no one else with such a task, Karim. Go, with the blessings of Sekhemet, Neith, and Maahes (4)."

"I'll go too!" Atem said, coming to my side.

I looked at him in shock. "You can't be serious! You are only eleven!"

"Almost twelve!" he retorted. "I'm old enough, and I've proven skill beyond my years with the sword on horseback! Isn't that right, Uncle Akhnadin?"

"Yes…" Akhnadin said hesitantly. "I don't see why he should not go, my Queen; your father was sent to the war front when he was only ten years old, and I likewise was sent to live among soldiers to gain experience when I was a similar age."

"I still think he should wait until he is at least thirteen," I said hesitantly.

"This will be a good experience, my Queen, and there may not be such another opportunity for a long time, until he has taken the reins of power. It is best for him to learn while he is still young," Shimon said.

With Shimon's approval, my argument was quickly losing ground. "Well…"

Mahado stepped forward. "I shall be there to look after him; the Prince shall come to no harm while I'm there."

Seto added, "And I, too, shall go; with the two of us around, the Prince shall not be harmed. And we shall assure that he will not see the front; he will stay within the safety of the main tent and plan strategies."

I looked at Mahado fearfully, but he steadily held my gaze, and I could see that it would be pointless to try and persuade him otherwise. "Very well; Atem may go as well, but if this war drags on for more than six months, I want him to come home."

Atem nodded. "You need not worry; with me leading the troops, we shall teach the Persians a lesson they'll remember in four months or so, you'll see!"

"I hope so," I murmured to myself. "The shorter this war is the better for all of us."

* * *

"I don't see why you have to go," I sulked to Mahado later that night as we prepared for bed.

He pulled me to him and soothingly stroked my hair. "It has always been my duty to look after your brother," he explained gently. "Where he goes, I go. Besides, who else would you trust to make sure that he returns safely?"

"But I want you to return safely too!" I said passionately. "What if something were to happen to you?"

He kissed me lovingly. "Rest assured, Jani. Your love shall protect me from all dangers, and the gods will watch over us."

I pressed my cheek to his chest, wanting so much to be comforted by his words. Nevertheless, I still felt worry gnawing away at me. "By Ra, I won that match! Even though I cannot explain exactly how Atem managed to activate his diadiankh, and I have no idea how it was that Father's ka appeared, and we all heard his voice…"

Mahado nodded. "It is a remarkable miracle. But we should have expected that King Urahimmi would find any excuse to attack Egypt; he has always eyed those ports."

"How shall I manage without you?" I murmured plaintively.

"I worry more about how I shall manage without you by my side," he replied. "I know that you shall be fine; you have an immeasurable amount of strength within you, and I know that you shall rule with Aset's blessing."

I clung tightly to him that night as we made love, fearing that it was for the last time. Long after he had fallen asleep, I still remained awake, wanting to etch every detail of his sleeping face and his body into my memory. Even if he were to return to me alive, only Ra knew how long it would be before we could sleep together again.

He rose as Ra rose in the east. I silently helped him dress, helping him strap on his leather armor. I wished that time would pass as slowly as possible, for I wanted to keep him to myself for as long as I could. Finally, we couldn't deny that it was time for him to meet the other Guardians, and for me to greet the assembled soldiers.

He wrapped his arms around my waist, and I looped mine around his neck. He didn't say a word at first, but his indigo eyes held all his love for me and did all the talking. "Remember, my love is like the rays of Ra and Khonsu," he murmured into my hair. "Forever with you, even when I am far away."

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak lest my bravery dissolved into tears before him. I looped a necklace around his neck, with a pendant holding a frozen image of the two of us together. "A keepsake for you while you are away," I explained, "in case you should forget what I look like."

"Never," he swore, "I have long since memorized every detail of your face, even that little dimple I adore so much when you smile. I pray that when I return I shall see it much more often."

I smiled to please him. "I shall sustain myself with hope for that day," I replied. Arm in arm, we made our way to the main courtyard, where all the soldiers had gathered. Atem was already there, proudly sporting his newly made armor.

Upon seeing me and Atem, the soldiers fell to their knees with their right hands over their hearts. I gestured for them to rise.

"Soldiers," I proclaimed, trying my best to keep my voice even. "You ride out today for a noble cause: to defend Egypt from her enemies. I thank you for your service, and I pray for the safe return of each and every one of you."

They cheered and raised their spears, chanting, "Love live the Queen Regent! Long live the Living Aset!"

Right there in the courtyard, the Priests of Maahes and Sekhemet made sacrifices for a victorious battle, chanting invocations and prayers. The Priestesses of Nekhebet and Neith anointed Atem, Karim, Seto, and Mahado, praying for their safe return. _Please, gods and goddesses of Egypt, watch over them all,_ I prayed. Atem appeared solemn, but perfectly calm.

Finally, it was time to see them to the stable for their departure. The horses were tacked in no time. Atem stood before me, eager to go. "Oh, please, Sister, don't worry about me! I'll be fine. The men need me there to lead them! And we'll be back soon, I promise you," he said as he wrapped his arms around me.

I hugged him tightly. "You better," I said, trying my best to make light of the situation. "I'll miss seeing your spiky little head everywhere. Promise me that you won't trick any of the soldiers while you're there."

"I won't," he said, giving me a mischievous wink. I half-laughed despite myself, knowing that Atem would still find some way to keep everyone amused on their journey. He made his way to bid farewell to Mana, who was doing her best not to cry. "I'll be back before you know it, Mana. Don't worry," he said as he swept her into a hug.

I bid farewell to Karim next. "Watch out for yourself, don't you dare let yourself get killed out there," I lightly warned as I hugged him. Isis stood beside me, but I could feel her trembling.

Karim pulled the both of us to him in a hug. "I'll be perfectly fine, I assure you," he replied. "As I said when I faced Seto in our mock battle, surely with the affection of you two lovely ladies, nothing can touch me!"

"That didn't stop him from whipping your butt," I said.

He smiled, abashed. "Well, that was just luck. But this time, I mean it." He patted his horse. "Nefertem here will take care of me, won't you, boy?"

His horse gave an affirmative whinny, and I patted him on the nose. "See that you return your master safely to us, boy," I said, giving him a chunk of carrot.

Finally, I turned to Mahado, who was fastening the last buckles on Bata'a bridle. I flung my arms around him and kissed him wildly, never wanting to let him go. He kissed me back with as much passion, our love overwhelming the need for words. He released me, and out of the corner of my eye I could see Karim giving Isis a kiss as well, silencing her protest. Seto watched us, his expression unreadable as he reined in his horse, who was sidling with impatience. Mahado made to mount, but then he abruptly swept me up in another kiss, more urgent and passionate than the last.

"If you men are done, remember that we have a strict schedule to keep," Seto said impatiently.

"Don't be jealous just because you've refused the favors of all the other ladies," Karim teased. Seto merely frowned, not seeing the humor in his joke. Mahado mounted, and I held on to his hand for as long as I could. Finally, Atem had mounted, and faced me.

"May Nekhebet and Neith (5) watch over you and protect you all," I said.

Atem merely nodded, his amethyst eyes blazing as he raised his sword in a salute to me. Mahado, Seto, and Karim did the same, and the soldiers behind them immediately followed, their cheers ringing throughout the stable yard. The hooves of the horses gave a deafening thunder as they galloped out of the stable yard and past the palace gates. Isis, Akhnadin, Shada, Shimon, and I remained standing where we were, watching until the gates closed behind them.

* * *

**1- Aside from the belief that the dead became akhs shining in the night sky, another belief was that once they passed the Hall of Ma'at, they joined Osiris and Aset in the Hall of Amenti, which is the counterpart of the Fields of Elysium in Greek mythology and heaven. **

**2- Dark Eradicator Warlock's special ability is that whenever a magic card is played, it inflicts 1000 points of direct damage to the opponent. I judged this to be about a quarter of ba, since the duels in the anime starting frrom Battle City onwards began with 4000 life points for each player. **

**3- The birthday was actually known as the Naming Day in Ancient Egypt, since mothers named their infants right after they were born. **

**4- Maahes was one of the war deities and was shown as a man with a lion's head. He was said to be the son of the cat goddess Bastet. **

**5- Neith was the goddess of weaving as well as war. **

**Thanks for reading! I finally have this up, despite some pesky technical difficulties with being able to update my story over the last couple of days. Please leave a review too! I'll update again in a couple of days, provided that gets the technical difficulties solved. **


	40. A Challenging Absence

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh**

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* * *

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_Dearest Jani, _

_By Thoth, even before the gates of the palace had closed behind us I was already missing you like crazy. We are making steady progress towards the northeastern border, where we shall set up our defenses and wait for the enemy. Rest assured that we will not let them set foot on Egyptian soil, my love. _

_The Prince remains in high spirits, eager to show off his skill with the sword. He has been challenging the soldiers to mock fights, and they have been indulging him, honored that he would spend his time with them. He has even been talking of engaging in mock ka battles with Karim, Seto, and I, but we have managed to persuade him that it is better for him to wait until we return to Thebes so that he can train with Shimon, and that it is best for him to wait until he is at least a year older. _

_In the meantime, Karim and I have been passing the time engaging in games of Senet and mock ka battles. Without Senupi to help, Karim has been losing miserably to me of late. We've invited Seto to join us, but he has kept himself aloof, preferring to study scrolls alone. He sure isn't one to socialize. He did engage in a mock ka battle with Karim and I, but only once, suggesting that he should preserve his energy for the actual battle. _

_I trust that all is well back home? Relay my regards to Isis, and tell her that Karim misses her especially. The others too, and tell Senupi that I shall be expecting my pillow back upon my return. Until then, he is free to occupy it to keep you company. I know that our separation will be hard on you, just as it will be hard on me. But I shall keep the pendant of our frozen image hidden here, close to my heart, and I sustain myself each day with the hope that it will bring me one day closer to being in your arms again. Until then, keep these letters close by, and every time you read them, imagine my voice speaking to you. It's not the best, but it will have to do for now. _

_Forever yours, with all my love, _

_Mad_

I touched the sheet of papyrus to my lips, closing my eyes and imagining Mahado's voice speaking to me through the words he had inscribed. I read them over a second time, committing each word to my memory like a precious gem. His warm hand had moved across this papyrus, and I gazed at all the familiar idiosyncrasies of his handwriting.

_Oh Mad… I miss you so much…_ I thought mournfully to myself. When his first message came, I had spent forever trying to compose a reply, thinking of what else I could say besides "I miss you so much; come back to me". I did my best to cast everything in an optimistic light, despite the heart-wrenching emptiness I felt at his and Atem's absence.

Footsteps interrupted my thoughts, and I looked up to see Isis approaching me. "News from the front?" she asked hopefully.

"They're making steady progress to the border," I replied, scanning over Mahado's letter once again. "Atem is eager to show off his skills, engaging the soldiers in mock swordfights."

Isis chuckled. "That is not surprising in the least; after all, that is why he wanted to go, to test his skills."

"Karim misses you especially, according to Mahado," I said, giving her a teasing nudge.

Isis smiled modestly. "I'm sure that he is jesting; why would Karim miss me?"

"For the same reason that you miss him; the two of you still have feelings for each other, even though you can't be together." Seeing the surprise on her face, I said, "Oh come on, don't pretend- it's not like the two of you rejected each other. Don't you know why he gave up his pursuit of Aramen? It's because he's vowed that he will never marry if he can't have you."

Isis blushed. "He said that? That is most kind of him, but foolish as well. How will he have an heir if he does not marry?"

"He said that there will definitely be someone to pass the Scales on to, even if it is not his own flesh and blood, just as Seto inherited the Rod."

"Ah, that is true," Isis said pensively. Then, after a pause, she stood up. "Come, I have something to show you that will ease your worries about Mahado and the Prince."

"What is it?" I asked as I followed her into her scrying room.

"While you may not be able to wield the power of the Necklace and see into the past and the future, the matter of seeing things as they are occurring is a matter of using your heka. Here, I will show you how." She set out a small bowl filled with water, and poured a measure of black ink. "That way, you can watch Mahado and Prince Atem whenever you become worried about them."

"Just as you are worried about Karim? How often have you spied on him recently?"

"Not much," she said defensively, "only to ensure that he is safe."

"Uh-huh… sure…" I said teasingly.

"Anyway, do you want to learn the technique or not?" Isis asked impatiently. "If you continue to tease me, perhaps I might change my mind."

"I'm sorry," I quickly said. "Yes, of course I want to know. Show me how."

"Well, first of all, you must let out a deep breath and clear your mind of all distracting thoughts. If your mind is swirling with thoughts, then you might not be able to see clearly. Wait until your mind is clear and as still as the water in this bowl, and then sweep your hand over the water like so, saying in your mind, 'I command thee to show me the events as they are occurring.' With luck, the water will show you what you wish to see. Here, try it now."

I closed my eyes and steadied my breathing, doing my best to clear my mind of all the thoughts stuffed into my mind. It was not an easy task, for I had just finished with a meeting with the lower viziers, who were growing anxious over the amount of funds allocated to the war cause. When I judged that my mind was sufficiently cleared, I did as she asked me. When I opened my eyes, I looked into the ink-filled water and a vision overtook me.

_I see Mahado pouring some feed into a bucket for Bata. He gently strokes his horse's neck, murmuring, "Who knows, old boy? Perhaps when we return, you shall find yourself a proud sire of a little colt on the way. Won't that be wonderful?" Bata gave a low nicker and nudged his master. "Perhaps we shall both find ourselves as expecting fathers…" He bows his head. "Pray that Aset will let it be, in due time…"_

I opened my eyes and beamed. "It worked, Isis! Thank you!"

She smiled. "I hated seeing you so worried, Jasana. Although now that you've discovered this skill, I hope you won't spend all your time gazing into the scrying bowl," she teased.

"Oh, don't worry; I have plenty on my hands to do to not spend hour after hour by the bowl," I said demurely.

That night, I found myself unable to sleep. So I pulled out the scrying bowl, and spied on Atem.

_Atem is sitting with Mahado. "So, how did you and my sister meet?" he asks eagerly. _

_Pain momentarily flashes in Mahado's eyes, and Atem says quickly, "If it will make you miss my sister so much, you don't need to tell me." _

_Mahado smiles, shaking off the pain. "On the contrary, my Prince, I'd be more than happy to tell you. We were both four years old. I had just arrived in the court a few days before, my father having died a week before of a snake bite. I was scared of living in a new place, but my mother assured me that I would like the place and would soon have many new friends. She took me to the stable, where she was reunited with her friend, your mother the late Queen. While they were chatting, I spied a pretty girl petting a black mare, and I approached her side. She was your sister, and she held out her hand and called the mare back to her side so that I could pet her. That day, we decided that I would be 'Mad', and she would be 'Jani'. It has been that way between us ever since."_

_"That's so sweet," Atem sighed. "I hope that when I marry, I'll find someone who loves me just as much as my sister loves you." _

_"I have no doubt that you will, my Prince. Now it's best that you get some rest; tomorrow will be another long day." Atem obliges and leaves the tent. Mahado sighs and pulls out the pendant with the frozen image of the two of us. He gazes at it thoughtfully for a long while, and then pulls out my first letter to him, curling up in his makeshift bed as he reads it. I can tell by the folded corners that he has read it many times before. _

_Dearest Mad, _

_I don't know what else there is to say, except that I miss you terribly and am already praying that you and Atem will come back soon. I don't think I can bear being without your company for so long. I curse King Urahimmi for declaring this wretched war on us and drawing you, Atem, Seto, Karim, and the others into this senseless danger. _

_Take care, my love, and watch over Atem. I know that you consider it your highest duty to ensure that he will return safely, but I tell you that it is equally important that you ensure that you return to my arms safely, for I will not have it otherwise. Until then, you are constantly here with me in my heart and at the foremost of my thoughts. _

_Forever yours, with all my love, _

_Jani_

_I watch as he carefully folds the letter back up and holds it close to his heart as he drifts off to sleep. _

* * *

I let out an exhale, and raised my bow. Standing before me in a semicircle were five wooden effigies. With a _twang!_ I let my arrow fly, and I waited until the arrow reached the center of the semicircle before snapping my fingers, causing the arrow to multiply into five. Each hit its effigy squarely in the heart.

I heard some polite clapping, and whipped around. Upon seeing my defensive stance, the young man instantly raised his arms above his head. "I mean you no harm, my lady Queen," he said in a friendly tone. "I was simply passing by and witnessed your great accomplishment. I didn't mean to startle you."

I smiled and lowered my bow. "That was no great accomplishment; I was simply practicing my magic. What with so much to do nowadays, I hardly have time to do so."

"Indeed, the kingdom has much need of your strong guidance in these troubling times," he replied. There was a twinkle in his eyes, and I couldn't help noticing that they were the same indigo color as Mahado's, if only a shade darker. "But Your Majesty's great power seems to remain as strong as ever, despite the lack of practice."

"I wish I had more time to practice," I said wistfully, "and more worthy companions with whom to practice. I used to practice often with my husband, but he is with my brother at the front."

"Well then, may I have the honor of joining you, my Queen?"

I nodded. "That would be most welcome; are you a magician as well?"

He bowed prettily. "I am. Forgive me for not introducing myself. I am Kenut, the son of Lord Grijut. My father was a superb wizard, and his brothers and father before him. Generations upon generations in my family have served as court magicians, second in power only to that of the family of the late Lord Serewakht."

"I see, then I believe you must be acquainted with my husband, Lord Mahado," I said.

"Only briefly acquainted, Your Majesty. I am more familiar with Semni, with whom I've trained for years. He is one of my dearest friends. In fact, I had thought that I would find him here, training a particular lady that he is fond of. But I see that he is not, and so I assume that he is wooing her elsewhere."

_So it's true! Semni's smitten with Aramen!_ I broke into a wide grin at this sure sign of the affections between them.

"If I may ask, what is it that has brought such a lovely smile onto your face, my Queen?" Kenut asked, a bemused expression on his face.

I quickly suppressed my grin into a smaller, more appropriate smile. "It's nothing; I am simply hopeful for my friend Aramen," I replied carefully. "But please do not tell anyone I said that, least of all her. I want her to develop her feelings naturally, without my interference or that of anyone else's."

"Your heart's wish is my command," Kenut replied.

"Very pretty," I replied, only very slightly annoyed. "Tell me, have you been trained in the empty flowery language of the court as well as the ways of Thoth?"

He looked taken aback. "I'll have you know that I do not participate in empty flattery, my Queen. I pride myself on the fact that every compliment I say comes straight from the depths of my heart. I shall prove this myself presently, but for now, shall we proceed?"

"Indeed," I said, conjuring my swords. "Let's test your shielding skills."

Kenut proved to be a competent companion in practicing magic; I had not encountered skills of his level since I had practiced with Mahado. After going about a month and a half without Mahado, Atem, or Karim's company, I found his to be refreshing, unlike the other male courtiers who did nothing except make empty compliments in a futile effort to flirt with me and catch my eye now that my husband was gone.

Fortunately, my royal decorum soon stayed their flirtatious intentions, keeping our interactions to nothing except court politeness. But this shell also kept me from befriending any other people, and with Shada and Isis both having their duties, I found myself rather lonely at times. Kenut, however, had caught me off guard, coming upon me at a time when I was not donning my royal decorum, and for some reason, I had no intention of keeping him at arm's length with my formal mien.

After a while, I glanced at the sundial. "I'm afraid that my duties must call me away. But I have enjoyed myself immensely, Kenut," I said, giving a friendly smile.

He returned it with a bow. "It is an honor, my Queen. I hope to be able to practice with you some other time."

For a moment I impulsively thought of arranging to meet with him tomorrow, but I quickly decided against it. I simply nodded and continued on my way, pretending not to notice him staring after me.

* * *

I looked out across the banqueting hall, noticing the unusually somber atmosphere. With so many men of the court gone to the front, I did away with the lavish court banquets, replacing them with quieter, more appropriate feasts. We did away with the exotic delicacies, feasting on duck, lamb, barley bread, and wine. Even so, food was still in abundance, but I made sure that there was an ample supply being sent to our soldiers; they deserved to eat as well as we did.

The ladies chatted quietly among themselves, their arms and necks bare of anything except strands of beads. Following my example, they had given up most of their gold and silver jewelry to be melted down into coins to use for the purchase of armory and weapons.

"The women are anxious," Isis noted, taking a sip from their cup.

"Indeed," I reply, "and for good reason too, after hearing the rumors that our army will meet with the Persians soon.

"Any news from Mahado or Karim?" she asked.

I shook my head. "I have not received a letter for almost a week now; one should be arriving any day." I felt my insides turn with fear. _What if a letter should never come?_

She nervously twirled her fork in between her fingers. "Perhaps I should perform a scrying tonight to check on things there." I knew that she meant to check on Karim. I silently made a reminder to myself to check on Mahado and Atem.

A sudden hush fell over the hall as a man stood up; I recognized him to be Kenut. "I believe that some music would do well to ease the tension in this room. May I have your permission to play my flute, Your Majesty?"

I smiled politely and nodded my head. "That would be a most welcome diversion, Kenut."

He brought forth his wooden flute, and as he played, it seemed as if his music cast a spell on all of us. The hauntingly beautiful notes filled the room, and his eyes closed as he focused all of his energy into his song. I closed mine as well, letting the notes vibrate within the deepest corners of my heart. The melancholy melody moved me until I felt my eyes fill with tears.

All too soon, the music stopped, and the hall burst into enthusiastic applause. I hastily and discreetly wiped away my tears with my sleeve, not wanting anyone to see them. "That was incredible!" I breathed. "Where did you learn to play like that?"

"My father taught me how to play. Although he is dead now, every time I play, I think of him, and it is like I can feel him right here with me whenever I make my music. He always used to say that music speaks to us in ways that words cannot, and it is the purest reflection of the heart."

"That is very true," Isis said. "I feel the same whenever I play my harp."

"I see," I added, "and now I see what you mean. I too, feel a bond with my own deceased mother at times."

Kenut nodded, and his eyes seemed to bore into mine as he said, "The melody I played is a very ancient one. It is said to have been composed by a prince of the Old Kingdom at the passing of his lover, who died before he could marry her."

"How tragic," one of the ladies near him sighed, leaning close to him. But he did not seem to notice her. Instead, he continued to hold my gaze as he sat down. I didn't know what it was about his gaze that kept my eyes locked with his, and I felt my heart beating violently, feeling as if his words held a more subtle meaning that was meant for me alone.

"I've never noticed him before," Isis said, and I finally managed to tear my gaze away from him to look at her. "Who is he?"

"He is Kenut, and another _hekau_ (1) in training," I quickly replied.

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You've met him?"

"Several days ago, we've practiced magic together twice now. He is quite skilled."

"And quite handsome too," she noticed. "See how the ladies fawn over him, but he doesn't seem to be interested. Indeed, he keeps looking over here, at you," she finished suspiciously.

"I'm sure it's nothing," I say with feigned nonchalance. "Perhaps he is just like the other male courtiers present in thinking that I am the most beautiful one here, that's all."

Isis gazed at me as if she could sense my uneasiness, but she turned towards her food. "In any case, I am ready whenever you are to leave so that we can do our scrying."

"Yes, I am finished now, and it's getting quite late; we can go," I said, rising to my feet, anxious to get away from Kenut's bewitching gaze and still the flutterings in my stomach.

* * *

I filled the bowl with water and poured in a good measure of ink, swirling it until it was purely black. Isis sat by her purple fire. "Any vision of the future?" I asked.

She looked at me grimly. "I foresee a great battle; many will die."

"Is my brother among them, or Mahado, or any of those that we know?"

"That I do not know; the Millennium Necklace can only show me so much, and I cannot see the future of those with other Millennium Items. Therefore, I do not know what will befall Karim, Seto, Mahado, or your brother. Their fates are known only to the gods."

I sighed, passing her the bowl. "Do you wish to check on your sweetheart?"

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Karim and I are not officially lovers; I have no more of a right to him than you do."

"Oh come, I saw the way he kissed you, and you kissed him back!" I protested lightly. "Come, I know you want to."

She sighed, conceding. "Very well; I have been rather anxious about him, since he is the one leading the troops." She took in a deep breath, and gazed trancelike into the bowl. She smiled. "He is doing just fine; he is composing some poetry in his tent."

I chuckled. "It's good to know that he is keeping up his literary skills even on the front."

She pushed the bowl to me. "It's time to check on your husband."

I exhaled, letting the events of the banquet slip away from my mind as I passed a hand over the scrying bowl. _Aset, please, grant me the ability to see my husband as he is now! _When I felt I was ready, I gazed into the depths of the bowl. Mahado's form came into view, and then sharpened until it was as if I was hovering right over him.

_He is sleeping, but he is tossing and turning. I feel as if I can reach out and caress his cheek. I hear him murmur under his breath, "Jani… oh Jani… oh yes… right there…" Judging from the bulge below his kilt, I can see that he is having an erotic dream of me, and I feel my cheeks warm. There is nothing I want to do more than to reach out and touch him and bring relief to his carnal longing. _

_Suddenly his eyes fly open, and he bolts upright. He looks around him bewilderedly, and then sighs sadly. He reaches under his pillow and pulls out a sheaf of papyrus- all of the letters I have written to him. With one hand clutching at the pendant with our frozen image, he reads my latest._

_Dearest Mad, _

_I pray that this letter finds you, Karim, Atem, Seto, and the rest of our men well and in good spirits. I hope that our supplies have been reaching you in good time; I sent some extra clean clothes for you. _

_Anxiety seems to be slowly seeping into the court. With so many of the men gone, the atmosphere is not as lively as it used to be. I have ceased to hire the musicians and dancers, allocating the funds previously used to hire them to the war cause. I don't think any of us are much in the mood for lively music anyway. I've also given up some of my gold and silver jewelry to be melted down into coinage. Don't worry; I haven't given up my mother's necklace, or any of the jewelry that you've given to me as gifts. Much to my appreciation, most of the other ladies have followed my lead, giving up most of their gold and silver as well. Now we adorn ourselves with strands of beads: carnelian amulets to protect the heart and turquoise pendants being the most popular. I overheard some ladies talking about how they bought amulets to protect their husbands. I now regret that I didn't give you one as well. _

_Remember, should you engage in battle with the Persians, my brother is not to see the front. Keep him as far away from the front as possible; he is only there to plan strategies and to see how the soldiers live. I do not want him putting himself in danger. And please remind Karim to be careful; he will be at the head of the battle, and I pray that he will come back unharmed. _

_Last, but most certainly not least, look after yourself. I miss you more than words could say. Every day is like a challenge, and with you and Atem gone, the burdens of the regency weigh on me tenfold. If I didn't have Isis to confide in, I would have gone mad long before. But even so, I wish you were here; I miss your good advice, which has never failed to bring me the comfort that I need. I am most grateful to Shimon for his experience and assistance. Shada has been a constant companion as well, and my uncle… well… you know that I've hardly spoken to him since that day, and I do not intend to seek his counsel ever again unless I absolutely have to. Even so, none can compare to you. Take care, my love, and know that you are in my thoughts with every breath I take. _

_Forever yours, with all my love, _

_Jani_

I looked up from the bowl. "Are you all right?" Isis asked. "Your cheeks are a bright red!"

"I just witnessed Mahado dreaming of me," I explained. I didn't have to explain what kind of dream he was having.

"Surely his dreams of you rival yours for him," she jokingly replied.

"As do yours of Karim?" I teased. She looked away and didn't answer as she emptied the bowl.

Stretching and yawning, she said, "Well! I believe that it is time to seek the comfort of my pillow." We walked out of the room together, and then parted ways, she to her chamber and I to mine.

I lit a lamp, and Senupi sleepily lifted his head, lazily wagging his tail. I laid my hand on his head as I settled in. I propped up the pillows and grabbed the stack of Mahado's letters to me. Seeing his empty place beside me, my heart swelled with such intense longing I felt as if a knife was being plunged into my heart. I swallowed the lump in my throat and read through each of his letters for at least the fifth time. Finally, deciding that I had tortured myself long enough, I blew out the lamp and fell asleep, holding on to Senupi.

_I am standing on the balcony at our villa in Alexandria. The sea is roaring at my feet. I feel a pair of arms wrap around me, and I turn around, smiling. But it is not who I expect it to be. It is Kenut, with his enchanting, dark eyes gazing into mine, as if he can see into the depths of my soul. _

_"You should be with me, Jasana," he says as he crushes his lips to mine. I try to pull away, whimpering a protest, but he holds me in a strong grip and will not let me go. He pushes me against a wall and tears my dress away, my screams dying inside my throat as his mouth ravages mine before sweeping down my neck. His thrusts are violent and possessive, nothing like Mahado. _

_"Stop…" I whisper_

_"I will not, until you become entirely mine," he murmurs passionately. _

I awoke with a start, finding myself covered in cold sweat. I bit on my tongue so that I wouldn't scream. Seeing that I was completely alone, I breathed a sigh of relief. I held Senupi even closer and tried to fall asleep again, but I could not, and so I pulled out my pendant and gazed at the image of Mahado and me cuddled in each other's arms.

_Oh Mad… I wish you were here with me, especially tonight._ Meditating on his beloved features, I finally drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

**1- _Hekau _is the word for "magician" in Ancient Egyptian. I was leafing through my book on Ancient Egypt recently and came across it. **

**Thanks for reading! I'm updating really quickly in order to make up for the time I lost while trying to figure out how to work around the annoying "Type 2" error I kept getting last week. Thankfully my friend told me how to get around it. Please leave a review too! :)**


	41. Temptation

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh**

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* * *

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A few more days passed before I saw Kenut again. After a grueling session with the lower viziers, I immediately made a beeline for the stable. Nephthys, upon seeing me enter, gave an enthusiastic whinny.

"I sure am glad to see you too, girl," I said, holding out my usual piece of honeycomb. "You won't believe how pesky those viziers are; lecturing me as if I was a child about the ways of finance in times of war. What do they take me for, some careless little girl?"

"If that is so, then they are greatly underestimating you." I jumped at the sound of Kenut's voice, and turned around to face him.

"Kenut," I greeted. "I didn't notice you there."

"I hope I am not intruding," he said as he came closer.

"Not at all," I hastily replied. Suddenly, the details of the dream that I had came back to me, and I turned away before he could see the blush creeping into my cheeks.

"Do you always confide your troubles to your horse?" he asked curiously.

I smiled sheepishly. "Well, yes, especially now, with a few of my dear friends and my brother away. Isis has served as my confidante throughout this troublesome time, but I know that she can only take so much of my ranting. But Nephthys here, no matter what, won't ever tire of all my tirades, won't you, girl?" My horse shook her head upon my prompting.

Kenut chuckled, and then tentatively reached out a hand towards my mare. She cautiously sniffed his hand before letting him stroke her nose. "What a loyal companion you have," he said. "Just as you would find me, should you ever be willing enough to grace me with your friendship."

"I would be more than happy to consider you my friend, Kenut," I said, giving him my biggest smile. "And as my friend, you may address me as 'Jasana'."

"Just 'Jasana', not 'Sahm-Aset Jasana'?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Jasana," he said, trying out the name on his tongue. "What a fitting name, and more suited to you, I think."

"It is the original name my mother gave me," I explained.

"She certainly knew what to call her daughter," he complimented. "Well then, we have been standing here for some while; I'm assuming that you came here to ride? I also came here to ride, so perhaps I could have the honor of joining you?"

"You may," I replied. "I've missed having company on these rides."

When our horses were tacked and saddled, we made our way along the Nile, with guards trailing behind at a discreet distance. "If I may ask, why don't you give one of your genuine smiles more often, like the one I saw when I first met you? You are much more beautiful when you let your true smile shine."

I glanced at him, and then, seeing the earnestness in his eyes, I quickly looked away. "It is hard to explain," I said. "It is just that I learned that a ruler must never reveal their true feelings, lest they let them cloud their judgment. It is one of the earliest lessons I learned from my father." I remembered that Mahado had also said something similar to me, and then, recalling the last time we rode together, to our special oasis, I felt the familiar longing surge within my heart. I took a deep breath, trying to suppress the sorrow.

"I'm sorry, have I upset you?" he asked anxiously.

It took me a moment to register that those dark indigo eyes did not belong to Mahado. "It's just… what you said reminded me of my husband is all," I replied, my voice shaky. "He always said that he wanted to see my genuine smile more often. Whenever he asked, I would smile just to please him."

"I see," he said thoughtfully. "And he rode with you often, did he not?"

"Indeed, the two of us learned how to ride together, since we were four years old," I said. I proceeded to tell him the story of how we met, surprising myself with how comfortable I felt around him. I even told him the secret of our two nicknames.

"He is an extremely lucky man to have your love," he said. "It's no wonder the other men are envious of him. Even now, I see the way that they look at you."

I laughed lightly. "Well, they would do better to find themselves loving wives, for they know that I am completely and thoroughly devoted to my husband; none of them could possibly compare to him."

"None?" he asked provocatively, bringing his horse closer to mine.

This time, I let myself return his stare with a teasing smile. "None," I replied confidently. "Although there is something about you that reminds me of him…"

For a moment I saw his face crease with a frown, but he quickly replaced it with a friendlier expression. "I'll have you know that I am completely my own person, and just a worthy a man as Mahado, and I intend to prove it to you."

"Forgive me; I never meant to imply that you are inferior to him," I said quickly.

His expression lightened. "There is nothing to forgive, Jasana."

After an awkward pause, I asked, "So, is there no woman who has captured your heart?"

"I still have yet to meet such a woman, I'm afraid," he said ruefully. "None of the women I have met thus far can compare to your loveliness. And your dynamic personality outshines them all."

I refused to meet his gaze, afraid of what I would see if I were to do so. "I'm sure that there is a woman out there for you, and you shall charm her with such pretty words."

"You know that I do not engage in empty flattery," he said earnestly. "Everything I say, I speak true."

I didn't reply, and the silence between us stretched into leagues. Finally, I decided that we had ridden for long enough. "I believe I shall bring my horse back in to the stable," I said.

He nodded. "I shall come with you."

When we arrived at the stable, he dismounted first, and then stood by Nephthys before I had the chance to dismount myself. I had no choice but to slide down into his arms. He held me for a moment too long, and I felt my body brush closer to his against my will. It had been so long since I had been held by Mahado, and the contact with another man brought an onslaught of longing in me so powerful I had to bite my lip from crying out. Without another word, I nodded politely to him, handed Nephthys to a waiting groom, and made my way to the palace alone, doing my best to ignore the pull of his magnetic gaze.

* * *

Despite myself, I saw more and more of Kenut, actively seeking his company whenever I found my rides too lonely. Isis couldn't be spared often from her priestess duties to accompany me, although she did so far more often than Shada, who didn't like to ride unless it was absolutely necessary. He preferred to encase himself in the library instead.

As I got to know him, I noticed striking similarities between him and Mahado, and perhaps this is what drew me to his company. Aside from both being _hekaus_, they shared similar interests, and I couldn't help but be taken with his eyes. He made casually flirtatious remarks from time to time, and I answered these passes with as many references to my husband as I could possibly manage, hoping to remind him that I was a married woman. If he was irritated at my incessant talk about Mahado, he did not show it.

It was as we were preparing for one of these rides when a messenger came running into the stable. "Begging your pardon for the interruption, my Queen," he panted breathlessly, "but this message just arrived, and it is urgent news from the front!"

I felt my heart flutter with panic as I roughly snatched the message from him and read its contents. A cry escaped from my lips and I felt my knees buckle. Kenut pulled me to him to support me. "What is it? Is it the Prince? Your husband?"

"It's… it's Karim," I said, feeling tears rush to my eyes. "He's been severely injured in a skirmish by an arrow wound; he came within a few inches of death." I waved the messenger away, and he scurried from the stable.

"Oh Ra… I'm so sorry, Jasana," Kenut murmured as he tightened his grip on me. "I know that he means a lot to you, but we must be thankful that he is still alive, and your husband and brother were spared."

"Yes," I replied, wiping away a few of my tears, embarrassed that he should see me like this. _Mahado and Atem were spared… Mahado…_ At the thought of my husband, I suddenly realized how close Kenut and I were. His face was so close to mine, and for a moment I thought that he meant to kiss me.

I pulled myself away before he got the chance. "I must go and tell Isis of this. Forgive me, but it looks like there won't be a ride today," I said hastily.

He nodded, a twinge of regret in his orbs. "I understand; she will want to know." I hurried from the stable, excusing my trembling as being from the shock of the news instead of the feel of his embrace.

* * *

Several days later, a retinue of guards arrived at the palace, with Seto riding at the head. Karim came later, being carried in a makeshift litter. Isis and I immediately saw him carried into the medical wing. I quickly gave orders for the soldiers to rest their horses and receive fresh clothing and refreshing baths.

"Take care of Karim," Seto said. "I will see to the men."

At the medical wing, I gingerly removed the bandages, and gasped at the sight of the arrow wound. "By the gods, Karim! I thought I told you not to get yourself killed out there!" I scolded.

"Well, as you can see, I'm still alive," he said, smiling feebly. "And it's not like I can help it when the enemy attacks."

"How did it happen?" Isis asked, gently washing away the dried blood with a wet cloth.

"Mahado and I were out riding with a small retinue of soldiers surveying the land when we spied a small band of Persians. We thought they were spies, but there were soldiers in their midst. At first we thought to leave them alone, but they spotted us first, and a skirmish broke out. We lost half of our retinue of fifty, and I took an arrow to the chest."

"It was just inches from your heart!" I cried. "You're lucky that it didn't kill you!"

"I believe it was aimed for your husband," he said, "but I got in the way."

"I thank you for your noble deed," I said, managing to smile. "But still, you have no idea how worried we've been."

"Oh come, surely it was the luck that came with your affections that saved me to live another day," he said, flashing that usually charming grin of his. "And I'm sure that I shall recover and be back to the front in no time under your care."

"Nonsense! I believe your time at the front is done," Isis said severely. "Look at you! It will take quite a while for your wounds to recover."

"Oh? And you're not going to prolong the treatment just to keep me here, are you?" he asked teasingly.

Isis narrowed her eyes at him. "You never know, I just might."

We heard someone clear his throat, and we turned around to see Seto standing at the threshold. "I trust that you are feeling slightly better, Karim?"

"Better than on the rough journey here," Karim replied. "Now that I'm here in the palace, I shall be fully recovered in no time."

"Always the optimist, you are," Seto said snidely. He held out a rolled sheet of papyrus towards me. "I had suggested that your husband make this journey back to the palace, Jasana, but he refused to, insisting that he stay with the Prince and that I go. But he bade me to give you this letter."

I took the message from him, swallowing my disappointment. "Thank you, Seto. You should freshen up from your ride, and I will see you in a few hours in the banquet hall." He left, and I unrolled the message and began to read.

_Dearest Jani, _

_Forgive me for not making the trip to see you. I know that this would have been the perfect opportunity to do so, and I would have jumped up and flown to you in an instant, but with the skirmish, I realize that the danger to the Prince is greater than I anticipated. Thus, I firmly believe that my place is with him. It pains me to give up this opportunity, but I hope that you will understand that my first and foremost duty is to protect your brother. _

_With Karim gone, Seto shall lead the soldiers in his place. Once he learned of the skirmish, your brother became furious and threw himself into his training even more. I do not know how successful I will be in keeping him away from the front. He argues that since you are far away in Thebes, he should be first in command at the front, and I do not see a way around his argument. Several of the scouts survived the skirmish, and are undoubtedly on their way back to the main army to make their report. I believe that a battle shall ensue soon. Rest assured that I will do everything in my power to protect your brother; I hate to worry you with this news, but I see no point in keeping the truth from you, my love. _

_Stay strong, for the sake of the country. I sustain myself with the thought of you; you are always with me, even haunting me in my dreams. Hopefully we shall defeat the enemy and be back in Thebes before Karim recovers. I pray that we shall meet again soon. _

_Forever yours, with all my love, _

_Mad_

"Well?" Karim asked, perusing my face. "What news from Mahado?"

"He says that Atem is more determined to get his taste of the battle," I said fearfully.

Karim patted my hand. "You cannot blame a boy who is about to come of age for being eager for his first taste of the fight."

"Because he doesn't know what it really is!" I shot back. "He's never seen blood before, and all he can think about is the glory, not the danger! Typical of a little boy!"

"You need not worry; Mahado will be there to protect him, and all of the soldiers will gladly lay their lives down for him," he replied soothingly. "There isn't anyone whose loyalty to your brother is stronger than Mahado's."

"And that will put him in equal danger with my brother," I said. "The thought of two of the men I love the most being in so much danger worries me constantly. Look at you, in your condition. What if the same or worse happens to either of them, or even worse, both?"

"Well, I believe the gods have had enough blood with me coming so close to death," he said in an attempt to joke. "I believe they will leave your husband and brother alone."

I smiled feebly in an attempt to play along, but I was not convinced.

* * *

My fear stayed with me throughout the feast. The mood was livelier than usual, with the women eagerly flirting with the young soldiers and filling their cups with the best wine. I chatted with Seto, who filled me in with all the news from the front.

"Your brother's prowess with the sword is remarkable," he said. "I have never seen such skill in a boy of his age, and the soldiers are more than happy to indulge his requests for mock fights."

"I hope those are with wooden swords," I replied.

"But of course; you need not worry so much about him, Jasana," Seto replied quietly. "Soon enough he shall come into his own as Pharaoh, and you would do well to let him go; such worrying will only cause you pain."

"I can't help it," I said, laughing a little. "I've always been like a mother as well as a sister to him, and worrying about him comes with the role."

"Nevertheless, when he becomes a man, he will find such coddling rather irksome; all men do," he replied.

At that moment, Kenut leaned over and refilled my cup. "Thank you, Kenut. That is most kind of you, but a servant could have done the task just as easily," I said, putting a subtle warning in my words.

"It is my greatest pleasure to serve you, my Queen," he said, his gaze passionately lingering on me.

I merely inclined my head and took a sip, glancing away as if his words were of no importance. But under my façade, his words were stirring trouble, combined with the embrace between us the day I found out about Karim. I sensed that our friendship was starting to tread on dangerous ground.

"Who is that man?" Seto asked when Kenut appeared to be engaged with someone else in conversation.

"He is Kenut; I met him shortly after you and the others left. He is a fellow hekau-in-training of Mahado's, and has proved to be a good companion while you, Mahado and the others are away."

"I would be careful around him, Jasana," he warned. "Rumors may stir. I've already heard that you ride with him often."

"We are escorted by guards, and there is nothing more than friendship between us," I answered, my cheeks heating. "Rumors will always fly about me; after all, I am the Queen Regent, and the courtiers have nothing better to do than to spawn gossip. Why can't I have new friends? I am friends with you, Karim, and Shada, so why can't he be another friend?"

"Because he thinks of you as more than a friend," he replied. "I may not be familiar with the ways of love, but even I can see the way that he looks at you and read the intention in those eyes. Be careful, lest he tempts you into betraying your husband. Many men on the front have already betrayed their wives and paramours with whores. I can imagine the toll your separation from your husband is taking on you, and the temptation may be mounting, especially with a man like him."

"Rest assured, Seto," I replied hotly, "my affection still belongs to my husband, and only my husband."

"You would do well to make that known to him," he said, glaring at Kenut.

* * *

I sighed as I settled down at my desk, dipping my reed pen into a pot of ink. Seto's words weighed heavily on me, as well as the way Kenut had been acting around me, with his casual flirtations and handsome gaze. I began to think that perhaps it was best if I terminated our friendship. _But that's ridiculous! I enjoy his company, and Seto is just looking out for my well-being. There is no harm in what is going on between Kenut and me, because there is nothing going on at all._ With that resolve, I began my letter to Mahado.

_Dearest Mad, _

_I understand your decision perfectly, but that still doesn't stop me from feeling a bit disappointed that I shall have to wait a little bit longer before I can see you. Already it has been a little over two months, and I miss having your arms around me, and your strong presence beside me in our bed. If it wasn't for Senupi, I wouldn't be able to sleep at all. And even then, I dream of you as well, the way you kiss my neck, the way you touch me in all the right places, the way you moan my name over and over again as I pleasure you… even now, I feel my heart bursting with such longing for your touch I fear it shall consume me. _

_I recently met Kenut, another hekau-in-training, and he has proved to be a good companion while you, Karim, Atem, and Seto are away. He has been practicing magic with me, and accompanying me on a few rides. There's something about him that reminds me a great deal of you, but then, when I look into his eyes, I realize that he is not you, and the longing comes afresh. _

_Well, I shall not trouble you with all my ranting about missing you; that goes without saying, and you already have enough on your mind as it is, I am sure. Just think of how it will be when we are together again, and that first night that you are back in my arms. I shall be waiting for you, with that same beaded dress on, and rose petals adorning the bed. When you find yourself missing me, think of the way I shall run my hands along your chest, and further below, touching you exactly where you like it so much, and kissing you in all the places I know that will bring you the most pleasure… it is the thought of our reunion that keeps me going. And in the unlikely event that you are tempted by the whores, well… they don't know your body like I do. Until then, look after yourself, and know that you are in my heart always. _

_Forever yours, with all my love, _

_Jani_

* * *

Seto checked the buckles on Netasenet's saddle before mounting. He looked around him, and the other soldiers were preparing as well. "We will be back before you know it," he said assuringly. "In the meantime, take care of yourself, and look after Karim."

"He is in good hands with us," I replied, handing him my finished letter to Mahado. "Please see this safely to my husband."

"I shall deliver it to him myself," he promised, tucking it beneath the folds of his cloak. With a nod towards me, he raised his sword, giving the signal to the others that it was time to depart. I watched as they galloped out of the stable yard, and remained where I was until the gates closed behind them.

Kenut came by my side, startling me. "I'm surprised that he escorted Karim here and not your husband," he said. "If I were him, I would not have given up such a golden opportunity."

"My husband wrote, explaining that his place is with my brother, to protect him, and I do not blame him for his decision," I coolly replied. "I support him for it, even though I cannot help but be disappointed. I know that he shall return to my arms soon enough."

"With such a lovely woman as you for a wife, I do not see how he could ever bear to leave you and put himself in such danger. Suppose that he should never return?" He stepped closer to me, his eyes boring into mine.

I squarely turned my back on him and moved away. "That is my worst fear, and I pray to Aset every day to keep him safe. I have faith that she will watch over him and see him safely back to me," I said stoutly as I walked away.

* * *

I stood on a secluded balcony later that day, watching the Nile's lazy amble towards the sea. I closed my eyes, recalling the time that Mahado and I had spent in Alexandria, walking hand in hand along the beach, our toes digging into the warm sand, the moonlit nights as we whispered sweet nothings into each other's ears as we made love, and our adventures during the day as we explored the city. I wished with all my heart that we could go there again.

I opened my eyes and watched as Ra began his descent. If Mahado were here, we would be walking along the river; he knew how much I loved this time of the day. I could almost feel his hand in mine, and picture his loving eyes before me.

I felt an arm brush against mine, and I turned my head in surprise. "What a perfect sunset," Kenut remarked casually. "This is my favorite time of the day."

"Mine too," I murmured, my thoughts whirring into overdrive. In the afternoon, I had decided that our friendship was too dangerous to continue, and I had thought about ending it. But I had not anticipated that the chance would come so soon.

"See how much we have in common," he said, wrapping his arms around me so quickly that for a moment I had no idea what was going on. "That is why you belong with me, Jasana," he murmured huskily as he crushed his lips to mine in a savagely passionate kiss.

Despite myself, I found myself responding, opening my lips even more to drink him in. He pushed me against a wall, and I could feel his arousal as his hands clawed at my dress.

_Oh no… what am I doing? This is just like my dream!_ Gasping for air against his onslaught of kisses, I put my hands on his arms as they tried to tear off my dress. "No… Kenut… stop!" I whimpered. "You're hurting me!"

With a great effort he pulled away. I panted, doing my best to smooth my dress. I gazed at him in surprise, putting a hand to my swollen lips, feeling a swell of shame as I had responded to his kiss. "Jasana…" he began.

I pulled myself up to my fullest height and held up a hand to stop him. "This has gone on far enough, Kenut," I said, trying not to let my voice quiver. "I cannot see you like this anymore. I'm sorry."

"You don't mean that! You can't! I have to see you again!" he argued passionately. "I am in love with you, Jasana! Surely you must have sensed it from the very beginning! Would that we had met sooner, before you had married, and then maybe I would have won your heart instead, and it would be me who occupied your bed every night, never to leave your side! You feel the same for me, I know you do! Otherwise you would have never kissed me back."

"That was not of my own will; it is just that I have missed my husband too much for me to use my senses," I said. "You know that my heart belongs to my husband, and we cannot be more than friends. If we cannot even be friends, then I cannot see you again."

"Please, Jasana, listen to me," he said, taking my hands. "Put your husband aside and marry me! You are Queen Regent now; you can do as you please! Mahado can't love you like I can."

I pulled my hands out of his grasp and slapped him across the face. "How dare you make such a suggestion, and to the Queen Regent of Egypt nonetheless! I shall NEVER put my husband aside!" I angrily pushed past him.

He roughly grabbed me to him. "How do you know that your husband is as loyal to you as you think? It has been over two months, and already men on the front are being corrupted by the whores. A man can only go so long without female company. What's to make you think that he's not coupling with one as we speak?"

"Unhand me!" I retorted, pulling myself out of his grasp and storming away, refusing to believe his words.

But that night, I found doubt eating away at me, and I set out the bowl of water with ink, and checked on my husband.

_The vision is blurry, but I see Mahado carrying a young woman into his tent. She is scantily clad, and her dress is torn, revealing a nipple. He sets her down on his bed…_

The vision disappeared; my thoughts were too disturbed for me to be able to see clearly. I felt my hands shaking, and the tears spilled from my eyes. Suddenly I felt my stomach turn, and I retched violently into a wooden basin. I wiped my mouth as well as my eyes, trying to still my shaking. _No… it can't be… he wouldn't! Would he?_ The thoughts swirled in my head round and round long into the night, until exhaustion overtook me.

* * *

***Gasp!* So is the vision really what Jasana thinks it is? The answer lies in the next chapter, coming out Saturday!**


	42. Triumph

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh**

* * *

I swept into Karim's room in the medical wing the next morning with a heavily laden tray. Upon hearing me enter, he sleepily stirred and opened his eyes. "Rise and shine!" I greeted enthusiastically, throwing open a window to let in the fresh morning air. "By Ra, even at this time of the day it's so stuffy in here! How can you stand it?"

"I usually don't notice such things when I'm asleep," he said as he suppressed a yawn. He eyed the breakfast tray and smiled. "I see that you've taken care to include my favorite morsels."

"But of course, it comes with the healing process," I said jokingly. "And at least you're awake; otherwise it would have gone cold waiting for you to wake up!"

"I do believe ample sleep is also part of the healing process; I'm making up for all the sleep I lost on the front."

I mockingly crossed my arms. "For shame, Karim! Not sleeping on the front?"

"Well, we stayed up late many nights planning strategies! And it was difficult to sleep with the anxiety concerning the enemy approaching. You'd do best to save your admonishments for your husband; he also stayed up late many nights."

"Indeed, I'll leave it to Isis to scold you," I teased.

He smiled. "Well, I was hoping to see her in here, but you'll do."

I pretended to be offended. "Although I know you prefer her hands to mine, I'm just as capable. Now just hold still while I change the dressing on your wound." As I undressed his wound, images of the dream I had last night returned to me, and I suddenly found my hands heavy and clumsy.

Sensing the change in my expression, Karim asked, "What's troubling you, Jasana?"

"Nothing… it's nothing," I quickly replied as I tried to regain control of myself.

"You know that it's pointless to hide anything from me; I can read your face almost as well as your husband can. Now tell me what's wrong."

I sighed. "Well… while you and Mahado were gone, I befriended another _hekau_ named Kenut. He's young, handsome, and exceptionally skilled. We practiced magic together a couple of times, and he accompanied me on a ride. Over time, I grew fond of him, but thought of him as nothing more than a friend. But the day when I found out about your injury, he embraced me, and yesterday he kissed me and put his hands all over me… and…" I looked away, my eyes quickly filling with tears.

"And?" he prompted gently.

"And… and I kissed him back!" I wailed. "By Ra, I kissed him back as if he was Mahado! I've never felt so dirty in my entire life, I don't know what I was thinking, but it's been so long since I've seen Mahado and been with him, and-"

"Don't fret so much, Jasana," he said, soothingly laying a hand on my shoulder. "It's natural for your body to react involuntarily to such a sensation, especially when you have been deprived of your husband for so long. Naturally you started to crave some male company, and so when the opportunity arose, you took advantage of it."

"But there's more," I said. "I had a dream of him seducing me not too long ago, and last night, I had another dream of him, only this time, I was the wanton one, pouncing on him like a cat in heat, tearing away his kilt and putting my hands all over him and pleasuring him, straddling him like a horse and riding him in wild ecstasy." I threw up my hands. "By Ra, I've never felt so ashamed in my life!"

"It was only a dream, you didn't actually make it a reality, did you?" he asked.

"Of course not!"

"Well then, there is nothing to worry about! It was just one harmless kiss, and a couple of erotic dreams. Sometimes we have such dreams without really knowing why. They don't mean anything, except that you miss having Mahado in your bed, and Kenut happened to be the last man you saw."

"Also… Isis has taught me how to water-scry so that I can see what Mahado and Atem are doing right now. I spied on Mahado last night, and he was carrying a young woman into his tent…" The lump in my throat choked me and I didn't say anymore.

Karim raised his eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"I don't know! The vision was blurry and my thoughts were too troubled for me to see anymore. I don't know what to think!" I started to sob. "I'm sorry… I seem to be having wild mood swings of late…"

He conjured a handkerchief and handed it to me. "Calm down, Jasana. You know that Mahado would cut off his own hand before even thinking of betraying you. Don't jump to any conclusions; I'm sure that soon enough there will be an explanation for all of this," he said, giving my hand a squeeze. "In the meantime, you had best tell Kenut to mind his manners, or stop seeing him altogether."

"I've already told him that I cannot see him anymore. He even had the gall to suggest that I put Mahado aside and marry him instead. Why can't we just be friends?"

Karim sighed. "With such intentions, I'm afraid that will be impossible. Just because you are married doesn't mean that you're safe; you're still a young, attractive woman, and many of the courtiers will be hoping for news that Mahado won't return so that they can claim you. You better be on your guard."

"I know," I replied bitterly. "It seems like I can't befriend any men nowadays without them thinking it'll turn into something more."

"I'm afraid that's the price of wearing the crown," he said sympathetically. "But be grateful for the friends that you do have."

I smiled and gave his hand another squeeze. "Yes, always leave it to you to be the voice of reason."

"But of course," he said mischievously. "You know, Mahado asked me to look after you and help you stay sane in all of this."

"Then you had better stay alive, because I will surely need your good counsel for a long time to come," I rejoined.

* * *

Five nights later, as I feasted at the banquet, a messenger came and handed me a scroll. I recognized the slanted handwriting as Mahado's. I paid the messenger before he disappeared, and took my leave early from the hall, eager to read my husband's letter and to get away from Kenut's haunted gaze, which fell upon me whenever I happened to see him. I always made sure that he was too far away to speak to me, for I had no intention of speaking to him again after that evening when he had kissed me.

I quickly unfurled the scroll and hungrily read his words as I walked into the bedchamber.

_Dearest Jani, _

_Seto has assured me that Karim will make a full recovery with you and Isis there to take care of him, and I do not doubt him. It is with the intervention of the gods that Karim is still alive, given how close the arrow came to his heart. The healers we had on hand were also crucial to saving his life, but we all knew that it would be best if he were to go back to the palace to have the best care possible. Seto will lead the troops in his stead, which is why he had to leave so soon. _

_By Thoth, I can feel myself becoming aroused just at the slightest mention of your dreams, and you are a very descriptive writer. Know that your dreams of me rival mine of yours, and I long to hold you in my arms again. When we return, I will take you to bed and not let you leave for three days, until I have had my fill of you. _

_It is your image that keeps the nightmares away, my love. We came across a village that had been ravaged by the enemy several days before, and only a hundred survivors are left, all of them badly wounded. The medical tent was full, and so I took one woman into my tent to shelter her. As of now she has spent most of her time sleeping, but she has told me that her name is Yewera. The village is utterly destroyed, and Atem has told the survivors that there is a place for them in the palace. It is my hope that you will take this young woman to Lady Aseneit; she could potentially be a healer. _

_I'm afraid that the images of the devastated village are seared forever into my mind- the piles of corpses, mutilated so badly that their faces are unidentifiable, women and young children brutally slaughtered in their own homes… I tried to save a babe, but it was to no avail, and it died right before my very eyes. At that point, I could not help it, and I wept for all those who had died and would never again see the light of day, for how we almost lost Karim, and out of fear that I, too, would suffer the fate of those villagers and never see your face again. _

_So I am even more anxious to return to your arms, to have your reassuring presence by my side, to bury my face into your hair and drink my fill of your sweet kisses. The Prince, seeing the suffering of the people, is itching even more for a fight. We have heard that their army is only a few days away, and it is strong and mighty. But the soldiers have been rallying, and when they come, we shall be prepared, and we shall be victorious. This I promise you, with everything that I am. It is my greatest wish that I shall see you again soon. _

_Forever yours, with all my love, _

_Mad_

My hands shook as I held the letter, and I closed my eyes, fearfully imagining him being impaled on a sword, his dear body being mutilated. The image appeared in my mind so vividly that I felt a wave of nausea overwhelm me, and I rushed to the wooden basin to empty my stomach of my dinner. _I have been vomiting a lot as of late… I thought to myself as I wiped my mouth. And these mood swings have been really ridiculous of late, and my stomach has been cramping…_ I felt a flutter of hope leap in my heart. _I must go to Lady Aseneit tomorrow and ask her to inspect me!_

I pulled out the scrying bowl and filled it with water and ink, taking a deep breath to make my thoughts as still as the water. It took a great amount of effort to banish the image of Kenut's pained gaze from my mind, but I managed to do so and gazed with half-open eyes into the black water.

_Atem is sitting beside his bed, as if he is waiting for someone. Sure enough, the flap lifts, and Mahado steps in. "You wished to see me, my Prince?"_

_"Yes," Atem replies, being unusually shy. "I wanted to talk to you… and I didn't know who else to turn to…" I suppress a gasp as I realize that his voice is already getting subtly deeper. _

_Mahado settles down beside him, making as if he is getting ready for a long talk. "Of course, you can talk to me about anything. What troubles you?"_

_He looks down and starts to wring his hands. "Um… well… this is incredibly awkward…but sometimes, when I'm sword-fighting with the other men, I notice that my shaft grows hard, and it also happens whenever I dream of Mana. Why is this happening to me?"_

_Mahado blinks, and appears to be at a loss for words. He clears his throat and tries to hide the flush in his cheeks. "Well…um… there is nothing to worry about, my Prince. It happens to every man, and it just means that you are maturing."_

_"This happens even to you?" my brother asks curiously. _

_"Yes, particularly when I'm with your sister," Mahado answers, his cheeks becoming positively crimson. _

_"But why? I know it has something to do with what happens when men are women are together, but I've only heard snatches here and there from the servants. I want to know everything about it."_

_"I… I d-don't think th-this is the right time to talk about it, my Prince," my husband stammers. "And I'm not the one who should be telling you… perhaps you should wait until we return to Thebes, and you could ask your uncle."_

"But that might not be for months!" Atem protests. "And if you won't tell me, then who else will? You're the one I've always looked up to as an older brother, and I don't trust anyone else the way I trust you."

_Mahado's embarrassed glance softens, and he murmurs, "I am touched, my Prince. I had no idea."_

_"You're my brother-in-law, and you've always been there for me through everything, along with Jani," Atem says. "So will you please answer this one question for me?"_

_My husband sighs, assuming a calm expression. "Very well. What would you like to know?"_

_"Well… for starters, what happens between you and my sister at night?" Atem asks. _

_"That, I'm afraid, remains a private matter between me and her, for sentimental reasons. I can't tell you exactly what we do in our intimacy." _

_"I understand," Atem says quickly. "By that, I just mean what happens between husbands and wives in general." _

_"First, tell me how much you know." _

_"I know that it has to do with how babies are born, and something about how the man's shaft goes into the woman, but that's about it." _

_"That's basically what happens," Mahado explains. "When a man and a woman love each other very much, the man's shaft becomes hard and erect, and it fits inside the woman's vulva, and from their union a child is formed. As you know, as the child quickens in the womb, Khnum forms its life on his wheel and gives it life when the time is right, and that's all there is to it. As you are growing, you may notice girls in a different light, and you may find yourself having certain dreams which cause your shaft to become erect. In time, you may also find yourself ejecting a white fluid, but it is no cause for alarm. Just understand that such things are normal, my Prince, and a part of becoming a man." _

_"I see," Atem says thoughtfully. "Then why hasn't Jani conceived yet?"_

_Mahado sighs sadly. "That, unfortunately, can only be answered by the gods. She has asked the question many times before, as have I. But I have faith that the gods shall bless us with a little one when the time is right."_

_"Then I will be an uncle, right?" my brother asks enthusiastically. _

_Mahado smiles. "Yes, you will be an uncle."_

_"I hope that it will be soon!"_

_"Me too," my husband murmurs, clutching at the pendant around his neck. "So, any other questions for tonight, my Prince?"_

_Atem yawns. "No, I believe my curiosity is satisfied for the moment." He throws his arms around my husband. "Thank you, Mahado. I knew I could count on you." _

_Mahado hugs him back. "I'll always be here for you, my Prince, you can count on that. Now, it is time for you to get some sleep. I am about to do the same." My brother obediently crawls into bed, and my husband tucks him in gently. I can already see that he will be an excellent father. "May the gods bless you with sweet dreams," he says as he leaves Atem's tent for his own. _

_Upon entering the tent, the woman that I saw earlier is waiting for him, completely naked. He jumps at the sight of her. "Yewera! What are you doing?" he asks sharply. "Cover yourself at once!"_

_She simply giggles and comes closer to him. "What? Am I not pleasing to your eye?" she asks. I wish with all my heart that I can reach out and toss her out of the tent by her hair. "Tell me, how does my body compare to that of your wife's?"_

_"Yewera, my eyes, heart, and body belong only to Jani, the woman I love," Mahado replies firmly, handing her a robe. _

_"But surely you miss her company, or any female company for that matter," she murmurs, seductively running her hands down his chest. I feel as if I could choke on the rage simmering within me. Her hands move to his belt, but he quickly grabs them. "Come, your wife doesn't need to know, and I can give you such pleasure that you shall never forget," she whispers, bringing her face closer to his. "I can feel you becoming excited… you know you can't resist this…"_

_My husband steps back, anger blazing in his eyes. He tosses the robe to her and pulls back the flap of the tent. "Get out."_

_"And if I refuse?" she says squarely. _

_"Then I shall summon the guards, and you can have fun pleasuring them instead," he answers. _

_"Suit yourself," she says carelessly, drawing the robe around her. "I shall make sure that they brag of me to you so that you shall see what you've missed. I offer myself to you and you refuse- I hope you know what a grave mistake you are making."_

_"It's not a mistake," Mahado replies confidently. "It's a matter of common sense, and something called loyalty. It is your mistake to try to tempt me into betraying my wife, who is patiently waiting for me in our bed. Good night." With that, he pushes her out of the tent and lets the flap fall into place. He presses the pendant to his lips. "That woman is but a tiny akh compared with your dazzling light, Jani," he murmurs as he settles into bed with a sigh. _

* * *

"So, my Queen, what ails you?" Lady Aseneit asked as she gestured for me to sit in a chair.

"Well, I've been sick often of late, and I find myself having intense mood swings; I cry easily, over the littlest things, and more than once it is all I can do not to burst out in tears in the throne room out of fear for my brother and my husband."

"Have your breasts been tender?"

"Yes, and my stomach cramps have been rather intense, but my blood still has yet to come. I also have had frequent headaches, but I think that is just because of stress."

Lady Aseneit felt my pulse. "When was your last blood?"

"Before my husband and brother left, but I thought it was just irregular because of the stress, as it was last time,"

"But this time it may be different," she said, her face creasing into a smile. "You may very well be with child at last! However, I will have to conduct a simple test to know. I will need a sample of your urine, and I shall moisten some emmer and barley seeds with it. If one of them grows, then that means you are indeed with child. If the emmer grows, you shall have a daughter, and the barley means that you shall have a son (1). But judging from the symptoms, I am almost completely certain that you are with child. Congratulations, my Queen, your prayers have been heard at long last."

"Aset, Hathor, and Heqet be praised!" I cried, overwhelmed with joy. I ran out of the room and floated into Karim's room. Isis was already there, keeping him company.

"What is it, Jasana? You are positively glowing!" Karim noted.

"Are you with child at last?" Isis asked eagerly.

I gasped. "How did you know?"

"Your face; it has that indescribable, buoyant experssion that so many women have when they have just found out that they are with child."

I beamed and nodded, and she cried out with joy and hugged me.

"At last!" Karim exulted. "Mahado will be ecstatic when he finds out! Shall you write to him and tell him of this news?"

"I still have yet to reply to his message, but I don't know- I would like to tell him myself, so that I can see his reaction. I guess I don't have a choice; another month may pass before I see him again, and it wouldn't be fair to keep in the dark, would it?"

"It's totally up to you; I'm sure he would understand if you wanted to wait," he said gently.

Just then, a servant came running into the room. "My Queen! Shimon requests your presence in the throne room! He says he has urgent news!"

I rose to my feet, apprehension pounding away in my heart. "It can only be about the war!"

"Go," Karim urged. "You too, Isis. Go and tell me all about it when you come back."

Isis and I hurried to the throne room. Shimon was there, along with Shada, Akhnadin, and all of the lower viziers and courtiers.

I didn't even settle down into the throne before I asked breathlessly, "What is it, Shimon? What's happened?"

His face broke out into a beaming smile. "Victory for Egypt! Your brother and Seto have achieved an enormous victory, and they are on their way back to Thebes as we speak! They wanted to surprise you, but a messenger ran ahead to give us a warning. They shall be here in two days' time!"

The hall broke out into cheers, and I felt my heart beating with sheer joy. "That's wonderful! But leave it to my brother to give short notice. Two days, you say? Then there is not a moment to spare!" I began to give orders to the servants to prepare for a grand banquet the likes of which we had not seen since my coronation, and the women of the court gathered to begin planning decorations. I sank down onto the throne, thanking the gods for giving us a double blessing. First, the discovery that I was pregnant, and now we had taught the Persians a valuable lesson, and my brother and Mahado were safe and sound and on their way back to me. It could not get better than that. _In that case, I'll be able to wait to tell Mahado in person! I can't wait to see how he reacts…_

* * *

"When will they arrive?" Mana asked eagerly, her conjured swords flying all over the place before she had given the command for them to move, turning into water as they crashed into the pillars and the ground.

I calmly raised my Shielding Charm. "Still another day, Mana. But when they approach, we shall be able to see them from a good distance away. Most likely they will be arriving in the afternoon."

"How can you be so calm, my Queen?" Aramen asked, aiming a multiplying arrow at a ring of effigies under Semni's watchful eye. "I thought you would be leaping for joy at the thought of your husband returning."

I laughed. "I'm focusing all my energy into practicing magic for now, Aramen, but believe me- I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight for excitement. I have very important news to share with my husband," I said mysteriously.

Aramen could already guess what it was and jumped up and down with excitement. "Are you…?" I nodded, and she squealed. "I'm so happy for you, my Queen! Finally our prayers have been answered!"

"What? What's happened?" Mana asked impatiently, having missed the hint.

"Oh, you'll find out soon enough, little one," I said lightly.

She huffed up. "I'm not so little anymore! I've grown a lot taller in the past few months, and I'm ten years old already!"

"Indeed?" I asked, smiling indulgently. Soon her breasts would start to form and her monthly bleeding would come. "Well, not to mention that your skills are definitely improving. I believe that my brother shall be impressed with how much you've learned since he was gone, and he'll have to work hard to catch up with you!"

"You really think so?" she asked, shyly scuffing her toe along the ground. "What if he has forgotten all about me, what with being with the soldiers and training with them and all?"

"I'm sure he hasn't forgotten you, Mana," I said gently. "A few months may seem to be a long time, but they are not long enough to forget the ones we love. Now come, shall we begin conjuring the elements and controlling them? I think you are ready."

* * *

"My Queen! The Prince and the army are approaching the gates to the city!" I quickly rushed to the balcony overlooking the main courtyard. The courtiers lined the pathway, and the gates had been thrown wide open. I could hear the jubilant cries of the villagers as they greeted my brother and the army. I could feel myself brimming with impatience as we waited on the balcony. Isis stood beside me, and Mana was pacing back and forth.

"What is taking them so long?" she whined, doing her best to smooth the front of her dress.

"Undoubtedly the townspeople are slowing them down," I said.

Soon enough, I caught sight of my brother sitting tall upon Sobek, flanked on either side by Seto and Mahado, and followed by the other generals who had fought under Seto's command. The people followed behind, calling out the praises of the gods who had delivered this victory into my brother's hands. I saw Atem swing off his horse, and his eyes scanned the balcony for me. Upon seeing me, he beamed and waved. I politely waved back, trying my best to keep from shouting like some commoner. Mahado dismounted next, and he immediately looked up. His eyes met mine, and it took all my decorum not to run down into his arms.

The grooms took away the horses, and the three men made their way into the palace, and up to the balcony. The minutes seemed to crawl by.

Suddenly, Atem appeared in the doorway. "Prince!" Mana cried, pouncing on him in a big hug. Atem beamed and swung her around. He set her down and looked at her.

"Mana! Look at you! You've grown even lovelier than before I left, if that's possible!" Mana blushed, and then Atem turned to me and pummeled me with a bear hug. "Jani! By the gods, I've missed you these past two months!"

"Brother!" I gasped as I fiercely hugged him back. "Look at you! You've sprouted since I last saw you, and your voice is changing! You've grown up while you were away."

"And I've gotten stronger too! I taught those Persians a good lesson they shall never forget."

I blinked. "You _what_? You weren't supposed to see the front! I gave strict orders on that regard!"

"And I overturned them, as the man in charge on the front," he said innocently. "You honestly didn't think I would stand idly by while our people were being slaughtered, did you, Jani? It was my right to have my revenge!"

I sighed. "Well, the important thing is that you are back, safe and sound." Suddenly, Mahado and Seto appeared in the doorway, and I forgot all decorum as I wordlessly ran to my husband and knocked him down to the ground, much to the laughter of everyone around me. I covered his face with kisses. "By the gods, it has been too long, my love!" I panted breathlessly.

"I hope you don't intend to tear my clothes off and take me right here in front of everyone," he teased as he kissed me back, but the fire in his eyes told me that he wished that I could.

I laughed and sheepishly rolled off him, scrambling up to my feet. Once he got to his feet, he picked me up in a big embrace and swung me around. "I don't ever want to spend another day apart from you again, Jani," he whispered into my hair.

"I have the most wonderful news," I murmured into his ear. "I am finally with child!"

His eyes widened, and he took my hands. "Truly, my love?"

"Yes, at last!"

He gave a whoop of joy and kissed me senseless. "We're going to be parents!" he announced to everyone on the balcony.

Atem came running. "Has Aset granted you a child at last, Sister?"

I smiled and ruffled his hair. "Yes; you're going to be an uncle."

"This is the best day ever!" he cried. I silently agreed.

"Pardon the interruption, but the people await your greeting," Shimon said. "And my most heartfelt congratulations to the both of you, my Queen and Mahado. I know that you shall be fine parents."

Atem approached the edge of the balcony, and held his sword high above his head in triumph. The cheers from the people became louder, and with a great flourish, he summoned me beside him and presented me with his sword. "It is with the greatest honor that I present thee with my sword, my Sister, my Queen Regent. Egypt has defeated her enemy in your honor."

"The glory is entirely yours, Brother," I said as I accepted his sword. "Egypt shall sleep safely tonight, and for a long time to come, thanks to your bravery." I held his hand up in mine. "All hail the Warrior Prince!" I cried.

"Hail!" The people cheered, falling to their knees and prostrating themselves below us.

Having greeted the people, Atem and I turned around. "There is just enough time for you to refresh yourself, my Prince," Shimon said, "before the feast tonight."

Atem nodded and walked off, chatting eagerly with Mana. I turned around to Mahado. "You should freshen up too, my love, and tonight, we shall party as we never have before."

"Why don't you join me?" he asked suggestively, drawing me closer to him so that I could feel the arousal below his kilt.

I playfully traced my fingers in circles across his chest, seriously contemplating the idea. "On the contrary, I think I'd better check to make sure that everything's running smoothly, as tempting as your offer is. I want to make sure that this party goes off without a hitch." I saw the disappointment in his face, and I kissed him to placate him, letting my tongue probe into his mouth. "I'm sorry; you'll just have to wait, Mad," I murmured seductively into his ear.

"The waiting comes with a heavy price, Jani," he growled, "and I shall demand my due at the first possible moment."

"I am more than willing to pay the price," I said mischievously before gently shoving him in the direction of the baths.

* * *

With the return of the soldiers, the liveliness returned to the banquet hall. Many of the noblewomen were openly flirting with the soldiers, and several marriages had already been announced. I silently sent a prayer of thanksgiving to the gods for seeing my brother, Mahado, and Seto safely back to Thebes, and prayed for the souls of those who had perished in the battle.

I stood up, and a hush fell over the crowd. I raised my goblet and said, "I propose a toast to Lord Seto, who valiantly led our men into battle, and to my brother, who fearlessly rode at their head. To our heroes!"

"Cheers!" Everyone cried before taking a sip.

Atem stood up. "And let's have a toast to my sister, who is expecting a child!"

The courtiers enthusiastically toasted me, and I noticed a few whispers of "At last" and "Finally". I dismissed them as I eagerly listened to Atem's tales of the war front.

I noticed a woman being escorted to the dais by guards, and I recognized her as Yewera, the woman who had tried to seduce my husband. I felt loathing and rage rise up in my throat as she approached, but then I quickly donned a polite mask.

"Jani, this is Yewera, the woman I told you about."

"It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Your Majesty," she said tonelessly. However, in her eyes I could detect a spark of pure hatred.

I politely nodded, remembering that Mahado had no idea that I knew of what had transpired between the two of them. "So you are Yewera. I am sure that Lady Aseneit shall be glad to take you on in the medical wing as an apprentice. It was most thoughtful of my dear husband to nurse you back to health."

"He is a most kind man," she said, her eyes coldly meeting mine.

"He is indeed," I said, wrapping an arm around my husband to serve as a subtle warning to her. "His heart is full of noble intentions."

"And it is entirely yours, my love," Mahado said, driving the warning home. Yewera merely nodded and took her seat at another table.

Kenut saw this as an opportunity to approach us. "I offer you my most sincere congratulations, Jasana. I know that you shall be a most loving mother."

Mahado raised his eyebrow at this familiarity in Kenut's voice. "I believe an introduction is in order, Jani?" he casually asked.

"But of course," I smoothly replied, wishing with all my heart that I didn't have to have the two of them meet. I slid closer to my husband as I said, "This is Kenut, the man I told you about in my letter. He has been a most excellent companion while you, Karim, Seto, and my brother were away."

My husband politely extended a hand to him. "I believe I have seen you before at the Sanctuary. I must thank you for looking after my wife during the troublesome time."

"It was a pleasure to do so," Kenut said coolly, taking my husband's hand. His eyes were filled with utter loathing, and the loathing was replaced with longing as he looked at me nestled so close to Mahado. I looked away, willing him to disappear as quickly as possible. As if he could sense my wish, he slid away.

At that moment, Semni rose from his chair at a separate table. He held Aramen's hand in his and raised it in the air as he announced, "This lovely young lady has agreed to be my wife! We shall marry come akhet!"

I beamed at Aramen and enthusiastically raised my cup to her. She blushed as she acknowledged the cheers, and leaned against her betrothed as he sat down. As she whispered something into his ear, I felt a mixture of joy as well as relief; her heart had now completely healed after the flirtation with Karim, and I was sure that the gods would grant her much happiness.

"Let's take our leave now, my love; I cannot wait another moment to get my hands on you," Mahado murmured into my ear. I giggled and rose.

We stood up, and everyone at our table did the same. "Mahado and I shall take our leave now; I'm afraid my condition has left me feeling rather fatigued."

"Of course," Atem said, hugging me. "Sweet dreams, Sister, and I shall see you on the morrow."

"Indeed you shall," I said in relief as I hugged him back. I thought I saw him pass Mahado a wink, and my husband took me by the arm and steered me from the table.

We first stopped to give Aramen and Semni our salutations. "It's about time you proposed, Semni!" Mahado said, clapping him on the back.

Semni blushed. "Well, I wanted to wait until you returned, my friend. How could I possibly propose in a time of war?"

"I'm glad that you did," my husband replied.

I gently laid a hand on Aramen's shoulder. "I wish you all the happiness in the world," I said. "I'm sure that Semni shall be as loving to you as Mahado is to me."

"You can count on that, my Queen," he said enthusiastically as he wrapped an arm around Aramen's waist. "And we would be greatly honored if you would be the chief witnesses in our marriage ceremony."

"Of course, it will be our pleasure," Mahado answered. "And now, if you will excuse us, we intend to renew our own marriage," he said as he swept me from the banquet hall.

We raced to our chambers, and once we reached the anteroom we couldn't restrain ourselves any longer. We kissed each other hungrily, quickly shedding our finery. He made to remove my dress, but I pulled away from him abruptly. "To bed with you, Mad," I teased. "Wait for me there."

"I told you, I'm done waiting," he said impatiently.

"It'll be worth it, I promise you," I said coaxingly. He sighed and followed my orders. "Oh, and keep your kilt on," I said. His eyes widened with surprise before he slinked away into our bedchamber. I heard a plaintive yelp from Senupi as Mahado plucked him up from his pillow.

I waited until I heard him settle on the bed, and then I appeared in the doorway. Slowly and sensually I pulled my dress up inch by inch, relishing in the torture.

Mahado made to move, but he couldn't. "What have you done, you little witch? I can't move!"

"Exactly," I said mischievously. "I cast a spell on you so that you're confined to the bed."

"Enough teasing, get over here!" he cried.

"Ohoho, you'll have to wait until I decide to come to you," I replied naughtily. "This is what you get for spending all that time away from me." Finally, when I had removed my dress, I ran and pounced on him, tearing his kilt away like a cat. I kissed and stroked him in all of his favorite places, eliciting low moans from him as he writhed and struggled against the force of my spell.

"Janiiiii… oh Jani… please… lift the spell… I can't stand this torture…" he moaned, his arms straining.  
"First, promise me that you'll never be away from me for so long a time again," I whispered into his ear.

"I swear on my heart!" he replied fervently. Smirking, I lifted the spell, and he quickly pulled me to him and pinned me underneath him.

"I'm done torturing you, my love, so come and take me with all your might!" He obliged and took me with a fevered passion. Now it was my turn to writhe and moan under his caresses, and our screams of pleasure echoed across the walls as we both reached our climax.

I wrapped my arms around him, listening to his strong heartbeat as it slowed. "Now I can finally sleep in peace, now that you're back with me."

He smiled and pulled me closer. "Sleep while you still can, because in due time my hunger for you shall resurface."

"Now that you're back…" I murmured, already succumbing to slumber, "we have all the time in the world…"

I soon awoke, noticing that it was still the middle of the night. Khonsu's rays drifted in from the balcony. I reached over, and felt that Mahado's side of the bed was empty. I sat up in alarm, and didn't see him anywhere. _Where is he?_ I thought as I was momentarily seized by panic. I grabbed a robe and wrapped it around myself before I rose from the bed. Senupi remained fast asleep at the foot of the bed.

I found him in the anteroom, shaking. I gently sat down beside him and folded him into my embrace. "What is it, my love? Did you have a nightmare?"

He nodded as he buried his face into my hair.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I… I c-can't," he sobbed. "It's too awful… too horrible…"

"Shhh…. it's okay, come back to bed, I'll stay up with you for as long as it takes," I said gently, drawing him back into our bedchamber. He hugged me tightly to him, and I ran my fingers soothingly through his hair. He remained awake for some time, and he couldn't seem to stop shaking. Finally, when his breathing deepened into a steady rhythm, I let myself return to sleep as well. _What can the nightmare be about? If it was about the war, he would have talked about it to me. What can be so bad that he won't tell me?_

* * *

**1- Believe it or not, this was an actual pregnancy test in Ancient Egypt. The part about the seeds sprouting was actually pretty accurate, but the part about the gender has proven to be accurate only half the time. **

**Thanks for reading! Please leave a review too! Next chapter will be out in a few days.**


	43. Anxiety

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh**

* * *

I felt a wet tongue on my face, and lazily opened my eyes. Senupi kept licking me until I patted him on the head. "Okay, that's enough, boy." He never failed to wake me up at the right hour, and so I never had the need to set up a candle alarm once he came into our lives. Senupi proceeded to lick Mahado, but I pulled him off. "Let him sleep," I said.

But it was too late; Mahado was already waking up. He yawned and stretched, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Senupi jumped on him and licked his face, and my husband smiled and patted him on the head. "Thank you, Senupi, I needed that."

"Wake up, sleepyhead. Perhaps a fresh bath is just the thing we need; it wouldn't do to show up at the meeting with the others smelling of last night."

He smirked. "Indeed, it wouldn't." He sat up, putting a hand to his head.

"Are you all right?" I asked. "You didn't have any more dreams once you fell asleep again, did you?"

"No; I just had that one," he said, his face darkening. "But what about you? Are you feeling well enough to attend to your duties today?"

"What are you talking about? I'm feeling just fine!" I answered, perplexed.

"Are you sure?" he asked, placing a hand on my stomach. "I've heard that pregnancy can sap the energy out of you."

"Well it hasn't done so yet," I replied, rising and donning my robe. "Now come, we have just enough time for a nice warm bath." I dashed out of the room.

"Jani, wait! Don't walk so fast!" my husband lightly scolded.

"Still feeling sluggish, are we?" I teased. "Fine, I'll race you to the bath! Winner gets the first massage!" I took off at a run.

"You shouldn't run in your condition!" he called after me, pulling on his kilt. Seeing as that I wouldn't listen, he had no choice but to dash after me.

I waited for him at the entrance to the baths. "I believe I win," I said smugly, feeling invigorated from the sprint.

He gasped for breath. "Are you crazy?" he scolded. "You could have tripped and fallen!"

"Oh come, I watched where I was going, and as you can see I'm perfectly fine. Now come, a little water is just what you need to wake up!"

"Wait!" I started at his tone. "You'd better hold on to me; the tiles could be slippery."

I sighed. "_Someone_ has definitely been far away long enough to have forgotten that I'm not some delicate piece of glass that can break at any moment." But I obliged him, and sure enough, I stumbled a little and clung to his arm.

"One can never be too cautious, my love, especially when they have a fragile little life growing inside of them. We've worked too long and hard to come this far, and I don't want you taking any unnecessary risks."

"It's early yet," I replied, sliding into the pool and handing him the jar of almond oil. "I'd like to move around while I still can, before I grow as big as a horse and can only waddle slowly about."

"Even so, maybe you should take today off and rest, just to be safe," he said worriedly.

"For Ra's sake, Mad, the country needs me! And I'm only going to be sitting on the throne and listening to the Guardians and the viziers; what threat does that pose to the child?" I asked impatiently.

"Well, none that I can think of," he admitted as he rubbed the oil through my hair, "except perhaps boredom passed on from you."

I laughed. "At least you haven't lost your sense of humor. Relax, my love, I won't do anything to risk the child. Besides, Lady Aseneit said that I should carry on as I normally would; it would be best for me if I did. And she knows far more about this than you do."

"Even so, take care, Jani, please."

I turned around and banished the worry from his face with a kiss. "I promise I will, Mad. Now will you please stop worrying?"

"I'm your husband; it comes with the job, especially with your condition," he replied, echoing my earlier words back to me.

* * *

I approached the stable, with a few pieces of honeycomb in hand. My mare swung her head over the gate and nickered a soft greeting.

"Hello, Nephthys," I said, handing out a piece of honeycomb to her, and she eagerly took it.

"My Queen, she is expecting a foal come sometime in akhet," the Master of the Horse said.

"How wonderful! But why didn't you detect it sooner?"

"Horse pregnancies are hard to detect until they are further along; I hadn't thought of it until I inspected her and noticed that she had gained quite a bit of weight of late," he replied.

"Well, girl, looks like we both shall be mothers very soon," I said as I led her out of her stall.

Bata trotted up to the gate and gave a protesting whinny, anxiously pawing a hoof on the ground.

"You knew all along, didn't you, Bata?" I asked, handing him a piece of honeycomb so that he would settle down. "Well, you need not worry; I'm only going to walk her. No more jumping or galloping until we both have had our little ones." He chewed on the honeycomb and appeared to be appeased. "By Ra, you are just as anxious and overprotective as your master, though a lot easier to mollify," I said, patting him on the nose.

I had just barely tied Nephthys up when I heard Mahado's voice behind me. "Jani! What are you doing? You can't go riding out in your condition!"

"As I said before, it's early yet, and many a women has gone out riding and delivered a healthy child at the end of her term. It doesn't endanger the child one bit, my love. Perhaps you would care to join me?"

"Come, we can go walking instead," he coaxed.

"I was only going to have her go at a walk, she and Bata are expecting a little foal in several months' time," I said insistently.

"Really?" he asked eagerly, momentarily forgetting his anxiety. Remembering it, he continued, "But that's another reason why you shouldn't ride her; what if you endanger the foal?" Beside him, Bata gave a nicker as if to emphasize the point and say, "I told you so."

The Master of the Horse stepped in. "Actually, my Lord, it is perfectly safe for the Queen Regent to ride her, it is actually beneficial to her health, and she is not so far along as to need a great deal of rest. The mare will be fine."

"Even so, I think you should rest for today, Jani. Perhaps we could go on a ride tomorrow," Mahado insisted, already taking the lead rope and leading Nephthys back into her stall.

I petulantly folded my arms across my chest. "Why don't we go to Lady Aseneit and see which of us is correct on this matter?" I challenged, doing my best to stem my irritation. The moods were definitely raging, and this was not helping at all.

"Fine; let us see if she is available now."

I angrily rounded on my heel and stalked out of the stable. He swiftly caught up with me. "Please, my love, just indulge me this one time, and I promise that I shan't ask too much of you."

I sighed. "Really, Mad, as if you weren't protective enough before all this happened, it seems as if now you've become a hundredfold more overprotective as if to make up for the time you were away! I think you're taking it a little too far," I pouted.

"Please don't be angry, Jani," he pleaded. "I'm just worried about you in your condition is all."

"Hasn't it occurred to you that perhaps you are worrying a bit too much?" I snapped. Seeing the hurt look on his face, I immediately regretted the sting in my voice. "After all, didn't you say long ago that I wasn't weak?"

"I never said that you were," he replied, drawing an arm around my waist. "But bearing a child is a challenge even for the strongest of women, and on the front I heard plenty of horror stories from a couple of soldiers who have lost their wives in childbirth. I should die if that were to happen to you." He gently pulled on me to slow me down. "We don't need to rush to her; why don't we take this time to enjoy each other's company?"

I relented and slowed my pace, wrapping my arm around his waist in turn. "Come now, where's your faith in the gods concerning this matter? Aset, Hathor, and Heqet will protect me, just as they and the other gods protected you, Atem, Seto, and Karim at the front."

He managed to smile. "Of course they will, but I still can't help but worry."

"As you usually do," I said wryly as we entered the medical wing.

Yewera greeted us, and I noticed the coldness in her eyes as she regarded me. She bowed politely. "My Queen Regent, what brings you here to the medical wing? I trust that your husband is taking care of you and lavishing all his attention on you during this trying time?"

"Perhaps a little _too_ much attention," I said teasingly, deliberately choosing to ignore the envy in her tone. "We have come to consult Lady Aseneit."

"If I had such a husband, I would appreciate his attention and affection to the fullest," she said. She stepped closer to Mahado, fixing her gaze on him. "Clearly your wife is a bit resentful of your attention," she murmured. My husband stepped back.

"I didn't say that I didn't appreciate it," I answered hotly, aware of the way she was looking at Mahado.. "And who are you to speak in such a way to the Queen Regent?"

"You had better go and fetch your mistress; we don't have all day," Mahado said sternly, protectively drawing me closer to him with an arm.

Yewera didn't say anything, but turned around and did as Mahado bid. "It seems to me that she has designs on you," I said when she was out of earshot. "Did something occur between the two of you at the front?"

"Don't pay her much mind, Jani," Mahado said casually. But he averted his gaze, and I realized that he didn't want me to know of how Yewera had tried to seduce him, for some reason. But then again, I didn't want him to know about the kiss between Kenut and I, and that was far more than just some flirtation.

Lady Aseneit swept in. "My lady Queen, Lord Mahado," she greeted, "what a surprise! My latest apprentice told me that you wish to consult me. What is it about?"

Mahado looked to me. "It seems that my husband here is overly worried about my condition, and I just wanted to put his mind at ease," I answered. "Tell him, Lady Aseneit; did you not say that I should carry about my normal routine?"

She nodded. "So I did, my lady Queen."

"But what if she were to feel overly tired and drained?" Mahado asked anxiously. "Should she not rest more often?"

"I have had no complaints from Her Majesty thus far, my Lord," Lady Aseneit answered. "But if that were the case, my lady Queen, then you should definitely rest."

"It is perfectly safe for me to ride my horse at a walk and a trot, is it not?" I asked, getting to the point.

"It is indeed; there is no harm in riding in your early months."

"But I still think that she should not, for the safety of the child," Mahado said. "I don't exactly trust that it is safe, despite your good counsel, Lady Aseneit."

"Well… if it really worries your husband so much, my lady Queen, then perhaps you shouldn't," Lady Aseneit conceded. "However, light daily exercise is best for you and your child. Also, refrain from drinking any alcohol- barley beer is best for you, and be sure to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables."

I bit back my irritation at her taking my husband's side. "Very well, Lady Aseneit. We thank you for your good advice."

* * *

That night, there was a special feast to celebrate Atem's twelfth Naming Day. He sat to my right, and I held my cup up to him. "To the Horus Ascendant, the Prince Atem! May the gods smile on you and bless you with vigorous life for many years to come."

"Hear, hear!" The rest of the court cried.

Before I could take a sip, Mahado murmured a spell and let his palm hover over the cup, eliminating all possible poisons. He did the same for my food, and then did the same for Atem. Isis raised her eyebrow at his cautiousness, but didn't say anything.

Karim, who had been released from the medical wing that afternoon, did. "What's this, Mahado? Still ever the cautious one, are we?" he joked.

"Just as you are still ever the humorous one, Karim," my husband replied smoothly.

"He's become a hundredfold more cautious," I said, trying to hide the edge in my voice. "He insisted that I cling to his arm while walking on the tiles in the bathhouse, and he has all but forbidden me from riding, even though it is early in my condition yet."

"Indeed; well you are fortunate that your wife seems to be willing to obey you in this regard, Mahado," Karim replied. "If I didn't know better, I would think that she would dismiss your wishes as being foolish and ignore them."

We all laughed. "If I did," I replied lightly, "then surely my husband would go mad out of worry. It is for his well-being that I indulge his wishes."

I snapped my fingers, and the musicians and dancers came forth. They began a lively, lilting tune as the dancers began to swivel their hips and dance sensually to the beat of the music. I observed my brother carefully, and noticed the rapt fascination in his gaze as he watched the naked dancers. _Ra, watch over him in these years_, I silently prayed. Now that Father was gone, I couldn't help but worry about his well-being in the critical years to come, especially when he came of the age to take his place on the Horus Throne.

I felt myself succumbing to fatigue rather early, and so I rose and took my leave. "Forgive me, Brother, but I feel that I must take my leave now, for my yawns are coming much too often for me to ignore. I wish you all the happiness on this day," I said as I hugged him.

"Your love is the greatest gift of all, Sister," he replied sweetly. I affectionately ruffled his hair and then left, Mahado attentively at my side. Once we exited the banquet hall, he picked me up in his strong arms.

I giggled and looped my arms around his neck. "I'm not so tired that I can't walk, my love, although I don't mind this favor."

"You said you were tired, and I don't want you to expend any more effort than you already have to," he replied tenderly.

A shadow emerged around a corner, and I saw Kenut. I suddenly felt rather embarrassed at his witnessing this intimacy between Mahado and me, and I clung a bit tighter to my husband.

"Kenut!" I managed to greet, plastering a polite smile on my face. "Why are you not enjoying yourself at the banquet?"

"I found the cacophonous music a bit too much, and so I am taking a stroll to clear my head. I am just returning now," he said, his dark eyes taking in every detail. "If I may ask, why are the two of you taking your leave so early? I thought that you enjoy the festivities."

"My wife is feeling more tired than usual, thus we are retiring early," Mahado answered stiffly. "Now if you will excuse us, we shall be on our way." He swept past him, and for some reason, I felt my gaze drawn to Kenut, and he remained where he was, watching us until we rounded a corner.

Mahado gently laid me down on the bed. "Is there anything you need? A cup of beer, something to nibble on?" he asked.

I laughed. "Nothing, except for you to come here." He obliged, and I kissed him deeply. "Now, what is this all about, my love?"

"What are you talking about, Jani?" he asked, pretending nonchalance.

"You've been acting so strangely today! First, scolding me for running, then insisting that I refrain from riding, and now carrying me all the way to our bedchamber in your arms, thus saving me the effort of walking, which would have been no effort at all! I know that you usually worry a lot, but this is a bit excessive, even for you. And then there was the dream you had last night, and you won't even tell me about it, which is so unlike you. There is something more than just my condition. What is it?"

"It's nothing, my love," he replied, giving me another kiss. "It's just that I know how dangerous childbirth can be, and I only want to protect you."

"The goddesses alone have the power to do that, Mad," I said gently. "You would do best to pray to them and entrust me to their care."

"Even so, there is plenty that I can do," he said. "And please, Jani, do not overexert yourself until the child is born."

I sighed, gently pulling the headdress off his head. "I promise I shan't, my love. Now, how about we read some poetry before calling it a night?"

"You cunning lioness, I knew you weren't entirely fatigued."

"Well, I felt ready to retire to a peaceful night," I said. "I know my brother will forgive us, and my condition is a great excuse to use in getting my way."

"So it is," he conceded. "So what would you like to hear tonight?"

* * *

Even though I indulged Mahado's wishes and refrained from riding and rested as often as my duties would allow me to, I soon found myself chafing at his overprotectiveness. I knew that my condition made me subject to violent moods, and I tried to spare him from the worst of them, but without my rides to bring comfort, I only had beadmaking, and I couldn't engage in it too often, for I found that if I started, I would become too engrossed to leave the kiln until I had completed a bead, which could take up to an hour.

Finally, I found an open window of time in which I could engage in battle magic practice with Shimon, Atem, and the others. I met them in the courtyard, and noticed that Aramen, Semni, and Kenut were there as well.

"My Prince, I believe that today you can begin engaging in full-length mock ka battles, now that you are another year older," Shimon said.

"Yes!" Atem exclaimed. "May I challenge my sister to a mock ka battle?"

"Are you sure, Atem?" I said. "Maybe you should challenge Shimon first, since he will go easy on you, whereas I will not."

"I'm absolutely certain," he replied confidently, letting the wings of his diadiankh unfurl.

"I insist on taking my wife's place in this mock ka battle, my Prince," Mahado said, stepping in front of me. "She shouldn't excessively tax her heka and her ba with her condition."

"On the contrary," I snapped, "there is nothing I need more than a good way to expend some pent-up energy, and this is the perfect way to do it. I have plenty of heka to spare."

"You could endanger the child!" my husband argued.

"For Ra's sake, everything I do will endanger the child in your eyes!" I retorted, finally losing the vestiges of patience with him, ignoring the shocked looked on everyone's faces. "To you, the only way I won't endanger the child is if I stay in our bedchamber and do nothing but lie in bed all day!"

Mahado looked taken aback at my outburst. "Believe me, it's best this way, my love."

"Best for whom, Mad?" I cried. "Is it really what's best for me, or what's best for you?"

Karim stepped in between the two of us before Mahado could formulate a reply. "For once, Jasana, I must take sides with your husband, at least in this regard. How about a compromise? You won't engage in any mock ka battles, but you will still practice your heka in all other ways."

"Karim-" my husband began.

"You have to give a little if you are to take a little, Mahado," Karim said in a tone that didn't allow for argument. "Otherwise, your wife will have no productive way to expend this energy, and you will find yourself the target of her raging moods, even more so than you are now. And believe me, you don't want that. Women in their pregnancy-induced moods can become very nasty. If you want to retain a shred of peace, and sanity, I suggest you do as I say and let her have this one outlet."

"And just who are you to intrude on this argument, Karim?" I said, rounding on him and directing my anger at him. "I gave you no leave to speak on my behalf; this is between Mahado and me."

"I'm simply playing the peacekeeper," he said calmly, "since the two of you obviously cannot wait until you are alone to argue. Without my intervention, Mahado would be incinerated by your temper."

"By the gods, just look at the two of you, bartering over what I can and cannot do as if I can't decide for myself. I'm not a witless invalid, you know! I'm only with child; that does not make me incompetent!" Suddenly, tears started to my eyes, and I turned around and ran away to the comfort of the stable.

* * *

I opened the gate to the pasture and let myself in. Nephthys and Bata both trotted over, and Bata placed himself between Nephthys and me.

"Get out of the way, Bata; I'm not going to ride her. Can't you see that I don't have a halter in my hand?" Even Bata seemed affronted by my temper, giving an indignant toss of his head. "I'm sorry, boy…" I said, wiping my tears from my eyes. "I seem to be a slave to the craziest moods…" He gently pressed his nose to my cheek and nickered to his mate, bidding her closer. I leaned against Nephthys and cried my tears out. "By Ra… these moods are driving me insane, and so is Mahado with his overprotectiveness! If this is how things are going to be, I can't wait for the little one to be born so that they can return to normal!"

Soon the heat of the Ra's rays was overbearing, so I made my way to the shade of a palm tree, and Nephthys and Bata followed suit. They grazed peacefully, keeping a watchful eye over me as I sat against the trunk of the tree, closing my eyes as I let the warm breeze rush by. I didn't know how long I stayed out there; time seemed to slip away as I absorbed the peacefulness of my surroundings. With the two horses as my companions, Mahado, the viziers, my duties, and the palace seemed so far away.

Finally, I couldn't deny that Ra would soon begin his descent, and it was time to bring the horses in. Nephthys and Bata obediently followed me as I led them from the pasture to their stalls. I leaned against the gate, not wanting to return to the palace just yet.

Nephthys pricked her ears up, and I looked over my shoulder to see Kenut approaching. I inwardly groaned to myself; being alone with him was not exactly something that I wanted. "Kenut," I said politely.

"So, you have finally cracked at your husband's possessiveness," he said.

"It was not possessiveness; it was simply overprotectiveness out of concern for my condition. He tends to be like that at times, and I simply lost my patience with him temporarily is all."

He approached my side without my leave. "You know that if I were in his place, I would never treat you thusly," he said passionately. "I would understand your need to continue with your regular routine, and I would not treat you like some fragile figurine that's about to break. I would patiently endure all your tirades and tantrums-"

"Stop," I interrupted, increasing the distance between us. "You mustn't talk to me thusly, Kenut. You have no leave to do so."

"I speak to you as a dear friend; you have given me leave to treat you as a friend, have you not?" he said.

"But that was before…" I faltered, not wanting to acknowledge the kiss, "that day, when you took a forbidden liberty with me. Clearly our friendship has reached dangerous grounds, and it cannot continue like this."

"But why not?" Kenut protested. "Why deny what is hidden deep in your heart? You yearn for me, I know you do! Otherwise you would not have kissed me like you did, and I saw the longing in your eyes the other night when your husband carried you away. You couldn't keep your eyes off me!"

I looked away. "As I said before, my body responded against my will; it was the extended absence of my husband and being deprived of his touch for so long that caused me to respond the way I did. And I merely looked back at you the other night because you remained standing where you were, and you were directly in my line of sight. There was nothing in it."

"Oh, and I suppose there was nothing in the way your husband looked at Lady Aseneit's newest apprentice?" he challenged.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "How do you know of that?"

"I happened to be passing by the medical wing at the moment, and I caught a glance of the pure lust in his eyes as the two of you spoke with her. She fancies him too, I can tell, by the way she's been acting around him, and I overheard her bragging to a maid that she nearly succeeded in seducing him, and intends to begin where she left off at the first opportunity. No man can resist such charms, especially when the woman has set her eyes on him. He may not have committed adultery yet, but already in his mind he has done so."

"Be silent!" I hissed. "I don't believe a word of it. I'll have you know that I know that bitch tried to seduce my husband, but he outright refused her, professing his loyalty to me. Now get out of my sight and keep such blasphemous opinions to yourself. Henceforth the friendship between us is over, Kenut, and I don't ever want to see you unless it is for professional reasons."

"By Ra, if I cannot persuade you gently to love me, then I shall force you!" he vehemently swore, moving quickly towards me.

I stepped back, preparing to conjure a shield between us. "I could curse you, or I could call the guards, or you can disappear of your own free will; it is your choice," I warned.

Just then, much to my relief, Atem and Mahado appeared. Seeing the tension between the two of us, Atem raised an eyebrow. "Sister? Is something amiss?" he asked. Beside him, Mahado was glaring daggers at Kenut, and I realized that they must've heard the last part of our exchange, if not a good portion of it.

"You'd better leave my wife alone, Kenut, if you know what is best for you," Mahado snarled.

"Of course, I wouldn't dream of sullying your most prized possession, Mahado," Kenut replied coldly. "After all, the Queen Regent is the greatest prize of all, is she not?"Mahado started towards him, but Atem quickly pulled him back.

"I'll have no fighting here," I warned. "And I told you to get out of my sight, Kenut. Farewell." He had no choice but to bow and take his leave. Once he was gone, Mahado rushed to me and enfolded me in his arms, and I felt my anger at him dissipating quickly as I inhaled the scent of his skin.

"Thank Aset you came when you did," I said, my voice muffled against his clothes.

Atem had discreetly slid away to spend time with his horse, leaving the two of us alone. "I'm sorry, my love; I should know better than to try and limit you, especially when it comes to your heka," Mahado murmured softly.

I gently pressed my lips to his. "There is nothing to forgive, Mad. I can understand your anxiety. If our roles were reversed, I probably would act the same way."

"But even so, I think Karim's compromise is a good idea; you can practice your heka in other ways, but wait until after the child is born before engaging in ka summoning."

"Yes, it is a good compromise," I agreed. "Trust him to be the logical peacekeeper, although I probably shouldn't have singed him with my anger."

"He was right; if he hadn't been there to play peacekeeper, I surely would have been burnt to a crisp by your temper. Already I have suffered a couple of burns."

I laughed weakly. "I'm sorry… these mood swings are dreadful, but I can't seem to help them."

"It's a small price to pay to sustain the growing life in your womb," he said tenderly, going down on his knees to kiss my belly.

"Indeed it is," Atem said, walking up towards us. "Jani, I think perhaps you should take a small break every day from your queenly duties."

I looked at him in surprise. "I don't think that's necessary, Brother."

"But I think so," he insisted. "I think these duties are putting an additional strain on you in your condition, thus explaining why your moods have been so bad of late. How about I meet with the Guardians in the morning, letting you sleep in, and you can meet with the viziers in the afternoon, or vice versa, however you want it?" Seeing my hesitation, he continued, "Besides, it'll be good practice for when I ascend to the Horus Throne; it's about time I take on more responsibility instead of just standing by your side. So how about it?"

"You have a good point," I conceded. "Fine; you can take the morning meetings, and I'll take the afternoon ones."

He smiled. "Excellent! Now the sound of these horses munching is making me hungry. Come, I think dinner is just about ready."

"Me too," I said. "And I hope the cook has prepared the duck in that special sauce of his like I requested, I've been craving it since this morning!"

"I requested that he cook your favorite soup as well," Mahado added as we swept from the stable, giving our horses one last pat on the nose for the night.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! And please leave a review too! This chapter originally was going to include more, but then it got to be so long that I thought it better to cut it in half. The other half will be out later this week! Sorry if this chapter seems fluffish. **


	44. Loss and a New Beginning

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh**

* * *

I lazily rolled over and opened my eyes to Ra's dazzling rays shining in from the window. Mahado had already pulled on his priestly robes and was placing a bowl holding a lotus blossom on table beside me. Seeing that I was awake, he sat down, leaned over, and planted a gentle kiss on my lips "Ra's blessing on you, my love," he murmured.

"Ra's blessing, Mad," I replied sleepily. "What time is it?"

"Time for me to attend to my duties," he said. "Although you are free to sleep for as long as you wish; your brother will be taking over for you in the morning. I left some morsels for your morning meal when you are ready. I was going to leave you a note, but seeing as that you are awake, I should tell you that today I'm going to inspect the temples at Karnak, and I shall be gone the entire day."

I sat up. "When will you be back?"

"I'll be back in plenty of time for the evening meal. Until then, please take it easy today, Jani. Get plenty of rest, and if you are feeling unwell, have your brother take over for you the entire day. Make sure that Lady Aseneit is close by should anything go wrong."

"Fine, I shall do as you say," I replied, pulling him close and giving him another kiss. "I'll spend the day catching up with Lady Aseneit in the medical wing. Just hurry about your duties and return quickly to me."

"I'll fly there and back on the wings of Horus himself if I have to," he replied, blowing me one last kiss before sailing out the door.

I slept for about another hour, and then rose and bathed. When I had devoured the morning meal that Mahado had left for me, I made my way to the medical wing. I paused, suddenly seized by a particularly strong stomach cramp. _That's strange…_ I thought to myself. _Why would I be having cramps?_ I continued on my way.

Lady Aseneit, upon seeing me, smiled. "Why, greetings, my lady Queen! Should you not be in the throne room meeting with the Guardians?"

"My brother has kindly offered to take over for me in the mornings, allowing me to get extra sleep. My husband is out for the day on duty, and he has bid me to rest and take it easy, so I thought I would spend it in here. It's been forever since I practiced any of my healing skills."

Yewera stepped forward, "Pardon me, Lady Aseneit, but we have all well in hand here and have no need of any assistance," she said, her eyes glaring into mine.

"Remember your place, Yewera!" Lady Aseneit said sharply. "We would be most glad to have your company, my lady Queen. You may help me mix the concoctions."

As we set to work, I was greeted by the familiar scent of herbs in the storeroom. "So, is it normal for men who are to be fathers for the first time to be overly anxious and protective of their wives?" I asked casually.

She gave a little laugh. "Oh yes, expectant fathers can be just as anxious and fearful as their wives, for they know how dangerous childbirth can be. Believe it or not, my husband was twice as anxious and overprotective as yours when I was expecting my first child."

"I thought that to be impossible!" I joked. "And I had no idea that you had any children, Lady Aseneit."

"Yes; I had a son, but we lost him to a fever when he was but a few months old. My only living child is a daughter, who has decided that she would rather serve Hathor than to take up my position."

"Oh, I'm sorry about your son," I said mournfully.

She sighed resignedly. "That is the way of life," she answered practically. "Many children are lost in the early years of infancy and some are miscarried when they are still in the womb." Just then, a noblewoman was ushered in, and she whispered a furtive plea to Lady Aseneit, who gave her a mysterious concoction. The woman paid her and left as mysteriously as she came.

"Who was she, and what did you give her?" I asked curiously.

"She was a courtier of the lower court, and she asked for acacia mixed with honey, an abortive. I suspect that she has committed adultery and didn't want the consequences."

I shuddered a little, and then suddenly my back was seized was a large spasm, and I cried out in pain.

"My lady Queen!" Lady Aseneit exclaimed in alarm. "What's wrong?"

"My back pains me, and I've been having mysterious cramps in my stomach."

For the first time, I saw Lady Aseneit blanch. "Have you been having them often before this?" she asked anxiously.

"No, they just began today," I answered.

"Here, let's get you to lie down; perhaps the child in your womb will settle down." She showed me to another room, and with a groan I settled down on the bed. She handed me a cup. "Here, drink this. I pray that all shall be well."

"Is something wrong?" I asked fearfully.

"Pray Aset no," she answered.

But as the day progressed, the cramps grew worse, and I tossed and turned in a feverish delirium. Suddenly, it felt as if my stomach was folding in on itself, and I cried out, "Aset! Have mercy!" I felt a rush of blood flow between my legs, as well as a hard lump before I passed out.

* * *

Aware of a burning pain in my stomach and in the area in between my legs, I sluggishly stirred. Lady Aseneit was mopping my brow, and Isis was sitting beside her, her face pale. "Thank Sekhemet you have awakened," Lady Aseneit said, her voice full of relief. "I began to fear that you never would."

"What's happened?" I asked, trying to sit up.

"Take it easy, your body has been through a great strain. I'm sorry, my lady Queen, but you have lost the child.

"What?" I refused to absorb the words my ears had heard. _No… it can't be…_

"I'm sorry, but you've suffered a miscarriage."

I turned away, the tears starting to my eyes as my heart began to overflow with grief. "But why?"

"Nobody knows why this happens to some ladies; a good portion of all women who become with child miscarry it their first time," Isis said as she soothingly patted my hand. "But surely the next one shall be healthy."

Mahado came running into the room. "Jani!" he cried, sweeping me into his arms. "Thank Thoth you are still alive… I feared that you would have died from the ordeal."

"You're back early," I said numbly, wanting to avoid all talk of the disaster that had happened.

"Yes, I had sensed that something terrible was happening to you, so I immediately apologized to the priests, telling them that I would either visit some other day or send someone else in my stead, and made my way back here as quickly as possible." He tightened his grip on me. "You had no idea how much I feared that the next time I saw you, it would be to feel your cold hand in mine…" his voice choked.

I buried my face into his sweat-streaked chest and began to sob. "Oh Mad… we lost the child…"

"Shhh… it'll be all right, Jani," he said softly as he stroked my hair. "At least I didn't lose you, as I dreamt that I would, and we still have each other. We will surely have another one in time…"

"But I don't care! I wanted the one that we had now!" I cried, too stricken by grief to be comforted by his words. He gently held me as I cried.

* * *

I was devastated. Night after night Mahado would stay up with me as I cried, never uttering a single word of complaint even as rings of exhaustion appeared under his eyes. I hardly left our bedchamber for an entire two weeks, letting Atem take over my duties as a ruler, and I would just sit out on the balcony, enduring the wrathful heat of Ra's rays. I refused meals and became thin, despite Mahado's urgings that I eat. I only took barely enough to prevent myself from starving to death.

Finally, when I became too restless to sit idly in my chamber, I made my way to my workshop and seated myself at the kiln. Somehow, the orange glow of the fire brought me a numbing sense of peace, and as I formed bead after bead, it was like a salve of sorts on my aching heart. Hunefer served as silent company, sent by Mahado and Atem to ensure that I did not hurt myself. He watched as I formed my beads, yet did not utter a single word when I furiously smashed each one into tiny bits after I had finished them and held them in my hands. While creating the beads served as a soothing salve, when I finished them, I thought of how I had once compared myself to Khnum. Bitterness would overtake me, and anger that he had abandoned me. It was in this anguished grief that I smashed each bead, destroying hours of work in the process. Hunefer never objected, but silently swept up the smashed glass and provided me with more.

A little over a month after my miscarriage, I was at the kiln when I heard soft, tentative footsteps behind me. I was too engrossed in my work and still too grieved to notice. A warm small hand settled on my shoulder, and soon I heard my brother's voice. "Sister?" I turned around to look at him, and he gasped at the sight of me. "Look at you! Look at how thin you are and the circles under your eyes…"

I ignored him and picked up the cooling glass beads in my palms. In the firelight I examined them. They were black, the color of sorrow and death, with just the slightest hint of gold dust. "They're beautiful, Jani," Atem said softly. I laid them on the steel block and raised a stone above my head. He stayed my hand. "What are you doing? Are you going to destroy your own handiwork?"

"I find them dissatisfactory," I said, finally acknowledging his presence.

"But I don't think so," he said gently. "If you don't want them, then sell them to the other women, or give them to me. Don't destroy the children of your creativity."

"Just as I shall never have any children of my womb, I shall not have any more children of my creativity," I murmured mournfully.

"That's not true, Sister," he replied, taking my hands in his. "Many a woman who has lost her first child in a miscarriage has gone on to have a couple of healthy, living children. It'll be that way for you and Mahado too, I just know it!" He picked up the beads that I was about to destroy and pocketed them. "Now come, it's almost time for dinner, and I asked the cook to make you your favorite duck soup."

I shook my head. "I'm not hungry, Brother. You go ahead without me; I think I'll stay in here."

"You mean you'll stay inside this chamber and numb out your grief as you create and then destroy? You've been doing this for two weeks now, Jani, and before this you stayed isolated in your bedchamber. How long will you encase yourself in this chamber of darkness and fire before returning to the world of the living? Egypt has need of you, Sister! Mahado needs you, and I need you! I've been taking up your burden in your stead, but I can't do it alone!" Tears started to his eyes as he pleaded with me. "Please, Sister, please return to the throne. I'll be there to help you, but it is time for you to recover from your grief and live your life once more. You still have years and years ahead of you; are you going to spend all of them isolated like this? We all miss you!"

I sighed, noting the begging look in Atem's eyes. Even in my grief, I still couldn't refuse my brother anything when he begged with his eyes. "Very well, Brother; I shall join the company in the banquet hall tonight. But pray let it be known that I am not ready to receive condolences from anyone just yet; it would only renew the pain afresh."

"Excellent!" Atem exclaimed as he hugged me. "And I understand, and I shall make it known. You will be most welcomed in the banquet hall, I am sure of it. Now come; already Aramen is waiting to attend to you."

I followed Atem out of my workshop and made my way to my bedchamber. Upon entering the anteroom, I found it overwhelmed with myriads of bouquets of flowers, some accompanied by messages. "What's this?" I gasped in surprise.

Aramen stepped forward. "They are from the other women of the court and the city," she explained sheepishly. "Your husband bade me accept them on your behalf while you recovered, and to keep them from your sight until you were ready to receive them. But when the Prince summoned me and told me that he would bring you back to the banquet hall tonight after so long an absence, well… I thought that now would be the right time to show them to you, to show you how the other women understand and share your sorrow. Many of them have lost children of their own, and they want to let you know that there is still hope for you, and that you are not alone."

"How kind of them," I murmured, tears starting to my eyes. However, these tears were of gratitude, not grief. "And thank you, Aramen; this is definitely a most appropriate time to show them to me."

She helped me put on my best sheath, and then painted my face with her expert hands. "I imagine your husband will be pleasantly surprised when he sees you tonight," she said. "Even though you are extremely thin, you are still as lovely as always. He'll probably whisk you right out of the banquet hall before you've even touched your food!"

I allowed myself to smile genuinely for the first time in a little over a month. "Unfortunately he can't do that," I replied, "He is serving in the Temple of Thoth for the month and cannot lie with me."

"What a shame, for he will be wishing that he could!" she teased. "Also, I was going to wait for a propitious time to ask you, but I guess now would just as good a time as any. I was wondering if you would help me with the wedding preparations. My sisters have offered to help, but there is nobody I trust above you, my lady Queen," she said meekly.

"I would be more than happy to help you prepare for your special day, Aramen," I said, placing my hands on her shoulders. "You just tell me what you need, and I shall be glad to help."

Her eyes lit up. "I thank you, my lady Queen."

"Call me 'Jasana'. By Ra, we've known each other for so long now, I can't believe I didn't give you leave to address me by my name before," I replied.

"Well then, Jasana, I believe you are now ready to make your grand entrance into the banquet hall," Aramen declared.

* * *

Despite my apprehension, I found myself welcomed with warm smiles and greetings from everyone as I took my seat. Karim and Isis were right there sitting beside my place, and I realized just how much I had missed them. "Jasana, words can't express how wonderful it is to see you tonight," Karim said.

Much to my surprise, I let out a ringing laugh. "Very pretty, Karim; have you been honing your flattery skills while I was secluded?"

"On the contrary, my Queen, I speak true," he rejoined. "It's good to know that you still can laugh." He poured a cup of wine and held it out to me.

I looked around. "Where's Mad?" I asked.

"He's being delayed at the temple, but he should be here soon," Isis answered. Sure enough, right on cue, my husband stepped into the hall.

Upon seeing me, he rushed over and took his seat. Pulling me into a kiss, he murmured into my ear. "Welcome back, my love. I see your brother was successful in his endeavor."

I smiled. "By Ra, did everyone know of his intention but me?"

"Yes, he made it quite public," my husband replied. "I hope you are hungry, because we specially requested the cook to prepare all of your favorite foods."

"And I helped him!" Atem exclaimed proudly. "The chef said that I have quite the talent for cooking."

"Is that so?" I replied, rather surprised.

"Here, try this out." He ladled some soup into a bowl and handed it to me. "It's my own recipe."

I took a small sip. "It's delicious! The chef wasn't exaggerating! You truly have a gift, Brother! It looks like you've found your passion at last."

Atem grinned and ladled out some more soup for the others. They applauded his skills, and he modestly smiled and accepted their praise, but I could tell that he was enjoying this attention immensely. He was getting to be quite the hog for praise and attention. The smell of the food reawakened my appetite, and I ate heartily.

Despite Atem's request, several courtiers made their way to me and offered their condolences for my loss. I smiled politely and inclined my head in gratitude; surprisingly, their sentiments did not sting as I thought it would, and I could see that Atem was relieved.

I stayed all the way until Atem stood up, and then took my leave. Mahado escorted me to our room. Taking me into his arms, he said, "I left some chamomile tea with an extra dose of poppy for you, in case you need it to get to sleep."

"That is most kind of you," I murmured before I kissed him.

"You've no idea how glad I am that you showed up at the banquet today and ate everything placed in front of you, Jani," he said. "I was really getting worried about you."

"With your love and everyone's support, I'll get through this," I replied. "I know that I will, but it will take some time."

"Of course, nobody expected you to get over this quickly, especially since you wanted a child so badly. But slowly but surely, we'll get through this together. You are not alone, Jani; I'm going through the same grief you are."

"I know," I said, reveling in the warmth of his embrace.

He gently tucked me into bed and gave me one last goodnight kiss. "Once the month is over, we shall make a new beginning," he promised.

"I shall look forward to that." With that, I gently closed my eyes, feeling his presence watching over me until I succumbed to slumber.

* * *

_There is a strong, healthy wail, and Lady Aseneit is handing me a small bundle wrapped in linen. "Congratulations, my lady Queen. You have a fine, healthy daughter." My heart overwhelms with joy as I look down at the small miracle in my arms…_

I awoke, and felt a stabbing grief as I realized that it was just a dream. _That could have been my child… if I hadn't lost her_, I thought sadly as I began to cry. _Gods, why must you torment me with such a dream? Especially as I was just beginning to recover…_

I sent a message to my brother, telling him that I was feeling indisposed and that he would have to take over for me for the day. After I had bathed and eaten, I made my way to the temple of Aset. I prostrated myself on my knees. "Great Mother, why did you forsake me?" I cried out in anguish. "Why did you take my child away?" I looked up at the statue of the goddess suckling her infant son, tears streaming from my eyes. "I want a child so badly…" I murmured. I waited, but there was so sign- no breath of wind, no bird-cry, that indicated that the goddess had heard me. Believing that she had abandoned me, I threw up my arms and left the shrine, agitated.

I went to the stable, and the grooms and Master of the Horse wordlessly paid me obeisance and let me enter. My mare nickered a greeting, and I patted her on the nose. "Sorry, girl, but I can't risk riding you with your foal due so soon. Besides, your mate would throw a fit if I did." Instead, I led Sobek out of his stall and began to saddle him.

"Not riding the mare today, my Queen?" the Master of the Horse asked.

"No; I'm going out to the oasis and it is too hard a ride for her in her condition," I replied.

"So it is," he agreed. "She will be having the foal in about another month's time, I believe. I'll be keeping a close eye on her until then."

"Please send me a message when she goes into labor; I want to be here to witness the birth of the foal, even if it is in the middle of the night," I said.

He bowed. "I shall, my lady Queen. Do you require any guards to accompany you?"

"No," I replied, donning a cloak to protect my face from the heat of the sun. "I prefer to ride out alone. But I am more than capable of protecting myself."

"Very well then, my lady Queen, but please don't be too long," he replied hesitantly. I nodded, and with a kick Sobek galloped out of the stable yard.

As he galloped, I felt comfort settling into my heart as I drank of Shu's sultry breath, and felt Ra's rays shining down on me. When we reached the oasis, I slid off and sank into the warm sand. Sobek drank greedily from the shimmering pond, and then snuffled at the few parched grasses growing on the banks.

I kicked off my sandals and hugged my knees, letting my toes squirm in the sand. I closed my mind and tried to meditate in order to calm my anguished mind. It seemed that the dream had renewed the pain and the grief so that it seemed like just yesterday when I had suffered the miscarriage. I was beginning to wonder if I would ever recover from the grief and be ready to have another child. Secretly, I was sort of relieved that Mahado was serving in the temple for the month, because I was not emotionally ready to try for another child, and I believed he could sense that.

I heard more hoofbeats, and I turned my head to see Mahado approaching on Bata. He swung off, and sat down next to me, gathering me in his arms. "Oh, my love…"

"I had a dream last night…" I said, my voice giving way.

He gently hushed me. "I understand; dreams are such potent things, are they not? It was a dream of you dying in childbirth that prompted my overprotectiveness."

"And now it is a dream that has brought the grief afresh!" I cried. Through my tears, I told him of what I had seen last night.

"But Jani, do you think it could have been a vision of what is to come? Maybe it is a sign of hope from Aset!"

"Do you think so?" I sniffled.

His eyes shined softly. "Yes, I do. I have a confession to make: after I had that horrifying dream, I sought out Isis and asked her to see into your future, if she was able to. All she could see was a little girl with your eyes; she said that it was your daughter. I urgently asked her if she could see you, but she could not. She told me that your heka is too powerful for her to be able to see your fate, but she did tell me that you would have at least one child that would live. So come now, surely that must lift your spirits even just a little bit, my love. All is not yet lost." He withdrew from his pocket a necklace and bracelet fashioned from exquisite glass beads. "If these can be repaired and fashioned into something beautiful, then surely there is another chance for us to have children."

I took the jewelry from his hands and inspected it closely. "Why, this is made from all the beads I had destroyed!" I exclaimed. "How did you manage to do this?"

"Aramen did most of the work," he explained. "She obtained the glass bits from Hunefer, and I used my heka to repair them, and then she fashioned the necklace and the bracelet. She asked me to help her; she thought that it was a pity that such beautiful work was destroyed, especially by its creator's hands.

"How kind of the both of you." I pocketed the jewelry so it would not be ruined by my sweat. Tears started to my eyes again. "I'm sorry… I can't seem to stop crying," I said as I tried to wipe them away.

Mahado wrapped his arms around me. "Some say that if one is to make a full recovery after grieving, then they must be cleansed of all their tears. So cry all you want, my love." He softly kissed the top of my head as I snuggled against him. We remained out there until Ra had nearly descended into the west, and we rode back to the palace in the darkening twilight.

* * *

"Should I wear the blue dress or the white?" Aramen asked anxiously as the maids hennaed her feet.

"Classic white, of course," I said as I brushed her still-wet hair, chanting a spell to make it dry faster and so that a fragrant scent clung to it. "Blue is the color of mourning; and this is a joyous celebration today."

"And for the jewelry?"

"Whatever you think is best," I replied soothingly. "Trust your instinct. No matter what, Semni will still think you are the most beautiful woman to walk the House of Geb."

"But I couldn't possibly compare to you, Jasana!" she cried.

"Nonsense, you are just as beautiful." I held out the jewelry case before her. "So which shall it be?"

She hesitated. "Which do you think is best?"

"Definitely the turquoise and the aquamarine inlaid with silver to match your eyes," I replied, choosing the bangles and placing them on her wrist.

"Also… what do you do on the wedding night? I have no idea how to please him!" she said anxiously, wringing her hands.

I smiled. "Listen closely, and I shall tell you all my secrets." I divulged all the ways I had pleasured Mahado in our marriage, and her eyes widened. "Feel free to invent your own ways of pleasuring him, and you shall have him in your grasp," I finished. I looked at the sundial. "Merciful Aset! Hurry, maidens, for it's almost time for the ceremony!"

Aramen wriggled nervously, and I patted my hand to soothe her. "There's no need to be nervous; the ceremony shall be over quickly enough, and you shall be joined to your husband!"

With great chatter her other sisters escorted us out of the palace, and we boarded the skiff waiting for us. Only Teraset remained sullenly silent; she had never gotten over the fact that Aramen had asked me and not her to be the witness on her marriage contract. Her father was waiting on the dock, and he escorted her into the Temple of Aset while I and his other daughters followed behind. Semni was waiting inside, Mahado and Atem by his side. Upon seeing Aramen, he beamed and took her hand. "Your beauty rivals that of the goddesses, my love," he praised. She bowed her head and blushed deeply.

The High Priestess of Aset anointed them with oil and called upon the goddess to bless their union. After the prayers were done, the two of them forged their marriage contract. Once they signed their names, Mahado and I affixed our signatures to the document, and they sealed their union with a kiss.

We sat at the table of honor with the couple at the feast that night. Once they were ready to retire, Mahado and I led the party that escorted them to their new villa, just next to the palace. As tradition decreed, the other Sisters and I saw Aramen into bed and called upon Hathor to bless her. Finally, amid many bawdy jokes, Semni entered the bedchamber, and the door closed behind him.

I leaned against Mahado's arm as we walked back to the palace, fatigue starting to set in. "Tonight ends my month of duty," he murmured to me. I shivered at the subtle meaning in his words. Right as we reached the threshold to our chambers, he picked me up and carried me in as if we were a newlywed couple ourselves. Gently he laid me down on the bed and lifted my sheath over my head, his lips beginning their worship of my body. "Let's make a new beginning, starting tonight," he said huskily.

* * *

.**Thanks for reading! Please leave a review too! Next chapter will be out very soon!**


	45. Mahado's Apprentice

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh**

* * *

The cheers of the crowd were deafening as the priests paraded into the temple courtyard, bearing the litter carrying the sacred statue of Osiris. They opened the great doors housing the god, exposing him to the crowd. It was the only time of the year that anyone except for the High Priest of Osiris could see the living embodiment of the god. We all prostrated ourselves before him, one of the first kings of Egypt, and the High Priest intoned, "Great one, husband of Aset, the Mistress of Magic, King of Amenti, we celebrate your return to life and ask your blessing upon our Black Land. May you make it fertile so that it may sustain us, your children."

The priests then carried the statue into the temple, where my brother presided over the various invocations and prayers, the sweet smell of incense filling the entire inner sanctum. Once his part was done, we made our way to the adjoining Temple of Aset, where I invoked the blessing of the goddess and sang her many praises for this miraculous deed. As I chanted, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace steal over me, and that was when I realized that the goddess had not abandoned me after all. Rather, she was simply testing my faith, and I believed that in time, she would grant me the gift that I wanted the most.

When the tedious part of the ceremony was over, we made our way to the royal barge for our return to the palace. On the banks, people continued calling out praises to Osiris and throwing gifts of flowers onto the Nile, asking for his blessing.

"Thank Ra that was over with," Atem said to me. "I'm glad that there are High Priests to act on my behalf, for when I take my place on the Horus Throne, I certainly don't want to be spending all my hours attending to the gods!"

I laughed. "I'm sure you'll have enough company of the gods presiding over the feast days, as you must."

"At least when I do, I won't have to wear that ridiculous headdress that you do," he replied.

"Yes indeed," I said, taking it off and handing it to a nearby maid, replacing it with a lighter circlet.

"So when can we have another jumping lesson?" Atem asked eagerly.

"Well, certainly not today! We still have to attend the feast."

"Tomorrow then?"

"If I can find some time to spare from the meetings, and if that time coincides with a break from your lessons. I'm sure that you would rather train in mock ka battles with Shimon than learn jumping."

"On the contrary, I like the both of them equally!" he argued.

"Maybe we should wait until after Nephthys gives birth," I said. "It's been a while since you've practiced jumping, and Sobek is young yet; he may have forgotten all about it."

"But when will that be?" he asked impatiently.

"Any day now, Brother," I replied, laying a soothing hand on his shoulder.

* * *

Mahado and I were awakened several nights later by a rapping on the door. Mahado quickly pulled on his rumpled kilt and answered it. "What could possibly be the matter at this time of the night?" he asked the messenger.

"Pardon the interruption, Lord Mahado, but the Master of the Horse bid me tell the Queen Regent that her mare has begun her labor."

I quickly donned a robe and approached my husband's side. "Tell him that we will be there shortly," I replied.

Mahado turned to me. "Are you sure you want to go, Jani? It's the middle of the night!"

"I don't want to miss Nephthys giving birth to her first foal!" I replied.

He sighed dejectedly. "I may regret this in the morning, but I'm coming with you." He looked down at his feet, where our dog was waiting faithfully. "Stay here, Senupi. Enjoy your rest on my pillow." Our dog happily hopped onto the bed, curled up on Mahado's soft pillow, and was soon fast asleep.

We followed the messenger to the stable. Most of the grooms were asleep in their beds; only the Master of the Horse was present. Nephthys was lying down in the straw, her breathing labored.

"Have you filled the stall with fresh straw?" I asked.

"Of course, my lady Queen," the Master of the Horse replied.

"Is there anything else she needs?"

He shook his head. "Now we just wait and see. I shall be ready to assist her if she needs it."

Nephthys gave out a nicker of pain, and Bata poked his head out between the boards that separated their stalls and affectionately touched his nose to hers, softly nickering encouragement.

"Come on girl, you can do it," I murmured, leaning over the railing. "Just breathe, and push." I didn't know if Taweret, Hathor, Aset, and Heqet assisted in foaling as well as human births, but I prayed to them nonetheless.

Mahado wrapped his arms around me. "She'll be fine, my love; she is healthy and strong." He turned to the Master of the Horse. "How long will it take the mare to give birth?"

"If all goes well, under an hour," the Master of the Horse replied. Soon, we saw a head and two legs coming out of Nephthys's vulva.

"The foal is coming!" I cried. "Come on, Nephthys, push!"

My horse gave another grunt and push, and now the foal was halfway out. "Come on, Nephthys, you are almost there," Mahado murmured. With one last effort, my mare pushed the rest of the foal out, as well as the placenta. Her head fell down in exhaustion, and we looked in wonder at the little foal that had just arrived in this world.

"Congratulations, girl, you did it," I whispered. Nephthys began licking her foal clean, and Bata nickered his sentiments.

"I shall inform you in the morning whether the foal is a colt or filly," the Master of the Horse said. "Until then, I suggest you contemplate names."

"I should like to name it 'Meryetnetjer'," I said.

"'Beloved of the Gods'- a most fitting name," Mahado agreed. "However, if the foal should be a colt instead of a filly, I would suggest a different name, such as 'Maatkare'."

"Well then, we shall see. If the foal is a filly, I get to name her, and if it is a colt, then he will bear your chosen name," I said.

"Agreed," my husband replied, and then yawned. "Well, I'm afraid I shall have to interrupt Senupi's peaceful slumber; I want my pillow back." I laughed and we made our way back to the palace.

* * *

With the war now over, things settled into a comfortable and peaceful routine. I deferred more and more to Atem's judgment in the throne room, giving him adequate practice for when he would ascend the throne and take sole responsibility for the country, but he left the most important judgments to me, and I would make a decision only after consulting him, Shimon, and the other Guardians. I tried to make as much time as possible to keep up with my magic practice, even finding a moment to spare to help Aramen, who was already making excellent progress in upper-level magic with Semni's help.

I resumed my rides with Nephthys and helped to take care of the foal, which did indeed prove to be female. She was the cutest creature to ever walk the House of Geb, rivaled only by Senupi. Every time I took her mother out for a ride, she would approach on her gawky legs, hoping for a little treat, and I never failed to disappoint her.

"She's growing quickly," Mahado observed one late afternoon as we walked past the pasture, watching her canter circles around her parents on her long legs.

"Indeed she is; I wonder who she will take after," I replied thoughtfully.

"Well, hopefully she won't pick up some of her father's annoying habits," he said, "such as excessively chewing the wood on all the fences and requiring a great deal of effort to push into a trot if he is feeling lazy."

I laughed. "All horses chew wood, Mad, and even Nephthys can take a little extra persuading from time to time. But I'm sure that Meryetnetjer will inherit the best traits of both parents."

"It will be another month before we'll see, right? I believe the Master of the Horse will establish contact with her come the last month of akhet."

"Yes, and I shall be there with him when he does," I answered. Seeing the pensive look on his face, I continued, "There is something else on your mind, my love. What is it?"

He looked out onto the river. "Master Thutmose has expressed a desire to lighten his workload. He has asked me to take his place in teaching the upper-level fledgling _hekaus_. He will continue to teach the youngest ones."

"How wonderful! What a great opportunity this is for you, Mad!"

His brow furrowed. "I don't exactly see how dealing with a bunch of whiny, fiery adolescents can be a great opportunity for me, and I'm not sure I'll be a great teacher."

"I'm sure you will," I said gently. "You just need to have a great deal of patience, and I'm sure that in time, it will come to you. Something tells me that you'll discover that you have a natural knack for teaching."

He paused. "Do you really think so?"

"Definitely, and by taking on the training of the fledgling _hekaus_, you will be able to handpick someone to take on as your apprentice. Just make the most of it. After all, I've seen how you are with my brother, treating him like a younger brother, and it is not so different to how you should treat your students. You will be a great father one day, and I know that you can be a great teacher as well."

"Well, with you having so much faith in me, perhaps I don't give myself enough credit," he admitted.

"You hardly ever do, my love," I said, planting a kiss on his lips.

* * *

"Aramen! Are you feeling unwell?" I quickly grabbed a basin and shoved it under her chin just in time to catch the vomit from her mouth. "Perhaps you ate something foul earlier today?"

"No; this has been happening on and off for about a week now, and I seemed to have lost my appetite," she replied, redirecting her attention to mixing the concoction that Lady Aseneit asked her to. "Semni's been getting worried about me."

"When was your last course?" I asked.

"Right before the wedding," she replied. Then, realizing this, she continued, "but that was two months ago!"

I smiled at her. "I believe you are with child, Aramen."

She gasped. "Semni will be ecstatic! I can't wait to tell him! What good fortune the goddesses have blessed me with!" Then she appeared to be contrite as she asked, "But have you conceived again, Jasana?"

I ruefully shook my head. "But never mind; I'm sure that I shall conceive again in time. Don't let this spoil the moment for you. This is your first, and the goddesses have indeed smiled upon you for you to conceive so soon after your wedding; I warrant that you conceived on your wedding night!"

She blushed. "It is most certainly a possibility; we did it more than once that night, and the following nights as well."

"That's hardly a surprise, it was the same way for Mahado and me," I replied. "I trust that you've settled down into your new home and it is to your liking?"

"Yes," she answered, her eyes shining. "You simply must come and visit me there when you have the time! I can't thank you enough for helping me choose the decorations, although Semni saw to the furniture, and he knows my taste very well."

"I shall see if I can soon," I promised.

"And you must tell me how Mahado is doing teaching the fledgling _hekaus_," she added.

I chuckled. "Although he seemed to be really nervous on the first day, I think he's slowly but surely getting used to it, even though it's only been two weeks since he's started. He seems relieved and glad that Semni is serving as his teacher's assistant; I believe the presence of a friend is a soothing comfort."

Just then, our men swept into the room. "Seems to me that you ladies are being more gossipy than productive," Semni teased, bending down to gather Aramen to him and planting a kiss on her lips.

"I bet they were comparing the two of us to see which one of us is the better husband," Mahado said, playing right along.

"That's not true!" I protested lightly, responding to Mahado's kiss. "We were just expressing our curiosity over how your teaching is going, my love."

"Well, I'm thankful to Thoth that I have Semni's help in keeping those little pubescent rascals in check. It takes quite the bit of energy teaching boys and girls who are coming of age and would rather flirt with each other than pay attention. It's no wonder that Thutmose wanted someone else to take over that class for him; the youngest ones are as docile as sheep compared to that bunch."

"But surely there must be some of them that are proving to be diligent pupils."

"Oh, there are. Actually, Mana is the most hardworking one of them all, even though she is one of the youngest. The other boys are rather cocky, but they also are diligent enough when it comes to their studies. But I think that upon Mana's Naming Day come the first month of next year, I shall take her on as my apprentice. But I still have yet to make my decision known; otherwise I'm afraid the others will make it impossible for me!

"That's a wise decision," I concurred. "And I'm glad that you've chosen Mana; I'm sure that she will prove to be an excellent apprentice and _hekau_ under your guidance." I turned to my friend. "By the by, Aramen, don't you have some news you would like to share?"

Semni looked at his wife, puzzled. "What is she talking about?"

She took him by the hands, her eyes glowing as she murmured, "Semni, I am with child."

"You are? Gods be praised!" he exclaimed, hugging her to him.

"Congratulations," Mahado said warmly. "When will the little one come?"

"Sometime in the last month of proyet next year," she replied. "I'll ask Lady Aseneit to do the precise calculations, but I believe it should be sometime in the fifth month." She looked at me. "You'll be there to help with the birth, won't you?"

"But of course," I assured her. "I wouldn't have it otherwise."

"Good, because neither would I."

"And I shall stay by your husband's side as he waits," Mahado promised. "With all this chatter, we forgot why we came here in the first place! We've come to pluck you ladies from your work and take you to dinner. The banquet hall awaits us!" Laughing, Aramen and I linked arms with our husbands and walked with them to join our other friends waiting for us in the banquet hall.

* * *

"By Thoth, I've never had- ouch!- such a clumsy- easy, Jani!- student!" Mahado winced in pain as I pulled out spike after spike, trying to be as gentle as possible. It had only been the second private lesson with Mana, and already there was disaster. I was quite shocked to see my husband stumble in with porcupine spikes all along his torso and lower arms. Apparently, instead of conjuring swords, she had conjured porcupine quills, and they had shot out all over the place before my husband had a chance to react and conjure a shield to protect himself. "Maybe choosing her- by Thoth!- was a stupid mistake."

"She does have trouble controlling her magic when she is overly eager or extremely nervous."

"Why didn't you warn me?" Mahado demanded.

"You didn't ask," I replied innocently, rubbing a soothing ointment where a spike had been before tackling another.

"OW!" he yelled as I pulled another one out. "Can't you give me more poppy or something to numb the pain?"

"I've already given you the maximum dosage, my love," I said sympathetically. "If I give you any more, you might fall into a deep stupor, and rousing you would be quite the challenge. Chances are you won't awaken, and I can't risk that. Believe me, it could be a lot more painful than it is already. And it's better if I just pull them out quickly than to prolong the agony by slowly drawing them out."

"I don't understand- her magic was- perfectly fine before- these lessons began." Mahado's sentence was interrupted by sharp intakes of breath.

"Maybe she's just intimidated is all," I said gently. "Just give her some time to get used to them. Just one more, my love… there!"

"Thank the gods," he said, sighing with relief as I rubbed the rest of the ointment onto his chest, wiping away the blood. "I've seen her practice with the Prince, and her magic doesn't suffer at all when she does so. I don't see why it should when I'm training her privately. And it certainly isn't hindered when she's performing one of her infamous pranks."

"It is strange, but perhaps it's just evolving as she is growing; I know that some younglings have more trouble than others controlling their heka as they are growing, but such instances are rare. Maybe she's such a case, where her heka is developing faster than she is physically."

"Well, we'll see, and in the meantime, we shall take it one small step at a time. No more conjuring swords for now- once was already painful enough."

"And it's best to be on your toes at all times, Mad," I chided gently. "Apparently you underestimated her; otherwise you would have conjured a shield in time to defend yourself and you wouldn't have had to suffer this terrible pain."

Mahado glared at me but didn't say anything; he knew very well that I could hypothetically conjure more spines to stick him with if he made a snappy reply.

The tense moment was healed by Karim waltzing into the room with a plate of sliced mangoes. "Ah, Mahado the Porcupine has been relieved of his spines!" he said, bursting into snickers.

"It's not funny, Karim," Mahado growled "How about I conjure some porcupine spikes to stick you with and see how you like it?"

"Forgive me, Mahado, but I just can't help laughing about it. I, on the other hand, would have had enough sense not to let my guard down. In fact, I would have had my shield up before the girl even entered the courtyard! But to make up for my laughing at your misfortune, I have brought you a treat."

Mahado sighed, letting his anger dissipate as he reached for a slice. "You certainly know how to charm your way into the hearts of everyone," he said as he reached for a slice.

"But of course; it is one of my best talents," he replied lightly as he held the plate towards me. "And you were never one to hold your anger for long, my friend."

"I wonder if you came here to give us the mangoes and the joke just slipped out or if they were an excuse so that you can laugh at him," I said suspiciously.

"How can you say such a thing?" he asked, pretending to be offended. "Of course I came here with this treat to cheer him up and to lessen his pain as my primary intention; I would never purposely come just to laugh at his misfortune."

"Indeed you wouldn't," I said sarcastically. "But these are exceptionally juicy and delicious."

"Isis thought so too. There were significantly more on this plate, but on my way here I kept getting attacked, and so these are all there are left," he said apologetically.

"No matter; there are enough here for the two of us, as well as enough for you, Karim. Why don't you take a slice for yourself?"

"If you insist," he replied with a grin. As he ate, he continued, "Mahado, perhaps you should teach Atem and Mana together? Perhaps the girl would perform better if she were learning with a friend."

"Shimon and I have already discussed this, and we think it's best for him to train Atem privately; the magic that he must learn as one who will one day be Pharaoh is different than the magic Mana must learn to become a _hekau_. But I do encourage that they practice together often."

"Well then, perhaps a little break from the lessons will do the Mana some good; the poor girl was absolutely distraught after the disaster this afternoon. The Prince just barely managed to coax her out of her room."

"It was only a slight accident," Mahado replied stubbornly. "It's best if we press on; the sooner these lessons commence the sooner the girl will have better control over her heka. I will probably give her a day to recover, but after that our lessons shall continue."

Karim sighed. "Well, we shall see what you think after the next accident."

"I'm sure there won't be another accident," Mahado said confidently. But Karim and I exchanged looks, and I could tell that he was just as uncertain as I.

* * *

Sure enough, the next day I was meditating in the lotus garden when I heard some sloshing footsteps. I opened my eyes to see my husband walking by, completely soaked from head to toe.

"Um…" I tried to suppress a giggle. "What-"

"Don't start," he snapped. But right on cue, my giggles became uncontrollable.

"So what happened this time?"

"Her magic is perfectly intact, and I am proof of that. I had retired for a brief afternoon nap, but then when I awoke, I noticed my headdress was missing. I ran out into the hallway, and it was hopping away."

"Hopping?" I asked incredulously.

"Let me continue my story, and then you'll see. So, I started to chase it, determined to get it back as soon as possible before others saw it and chaos ensued. I chased it all the way to a nearby pond, and finally it seemed to be sitting perfectly still. Just when I was about to grab it, it hopped out of my reach, and lo and behold, I lost my balance and fell into the pond. I finally had it in my hands, but then I saw a frog swimming out from under it, and the frog was entirely too big to be of a normal size. I wasn't surprised to see Mana emerge from a nearby pot, laughing her head off."

I giggled. "I must say, Mad, it is rather funny."

"Not you too!" he said exasperatedly.

"You didn't seem to use your head and think for a second; otherwise you surely would have thought of putting a freeze spell on it instead of chasing it all over the palace like a maniac."

He looked abashed. "I suppose you're right, my love. I wasn't thinking straight; I was only concerned with getting it back as quickly as possible. But I did have my little bit of revenge and controlled the water into a stream so that she got soaked as well. So now we're even."

"Oh I don't think so," I said lightly. "I think this little prank war has only begun. In the meantime, you had best change out of those wet clothes before you catch a cold; it is only the first month of the year after all, and soon the evening chill will set in." He made to hug me, but I stayed him with my hand. "I don't want to get wet too!" So he simply kissed me lightly and went to our room to change.

* * *

When I awoke the next morning, it was to feel Mahado shivering beside me. I pressed the back of my hand to his forehead, and much to my alarm, it was burning up. I quickly found another blanket and covered him with it.

Mahado lazily opened his eyes. "By Thoth, it's freezing in here!"

"That's because you've caught a fever, Mad," I explained. "That's what you get for falling into that pond yesterday."

He frowned. "But that wasn't my fault! It was entirely Mana's for putting that frog under my headdress!"

"Nevertheless, you are in no condition to go about your duties today, my love. You should stay in here and get some rest."

He sighed, but he could see reason in what I said. "But Semni can't possibly handle the students by himself!"

"I shall take over for you, with his help," I said. "I'll simply switch with Atem and meet with the other Guardians in the morning, and he can deal with the lower viziers. It's about time that he get some experience in handling them." I quickly conjured papyrus, a reed pen, and scribbled a message to my brother. I glanced towards the sundial, and breathed a sigh of relief. There was still an ample amount of time for me to get ready for the meeting. I leaned over and kissed my husband on the cheek. "I'll be back shortly, my love; I'm going to find something for that fever of yours. In the meantime, get some extra sleep." I donned a robe, and Senupi hopped down from the bed. "Want to come with me, Senupi?" He gave an affirmative bark, and I laughed. "Very well, it's time for your morning walk in any case." He trotted at my side as I made my way to the medical wing.

Yewera was sullenly brewing a concoction, and Aramen and Lady Aseneit were talking quietly. I overheard Lady Aseneit telling Aramen what she should and shouldn't eat in her condition, and for a moment my presence was unnoticed. Then Lady Aseneit saw me and greeted, "Ra's blessing on you, my lady Queen! What brings you here in this early time of the day?"

"My husband is suffering from a fever," I said. "He fell into a pond yesterday, and I think he caught the fever from the wetness mixed with the chill of the season."

"What happened?" I proceeded to tell of Mana's prank as Lady Aseneit directed Yewera to mix a concoction.

Aramen laughed. "That's hilarious! Even more so than the accident with the porcupine spines!"

"It seems that the Lord Mahado has been suffering excessively at the hands of teaching that incompetent girl," Yewera remarked. "Perhaps he would do better to spend his time in another fashion."

I looked at her coldly. "He insists on carrying out Mana's lessons, and I'm sure that she will improve in time." I snatched the concoction from her and made to leave the room.

"My lady Queen, wait!" Lady Aseneit stayed me with a hand on my arm.

"What is it, Lady Aseneit?"

She frowned and took the concoction from me. "There is something wrong with this mix," she said suspiciously. She turned to Yewera. "What have you added to this?" she demanded.

"Nothing," Yewera replied demurely. "I followed your instructions exactly."

Lady Aseneit didn't appear to believe her, for she chanted a spell over the brew. _"In the name of Sekhemet, the Lady of Medicine and Healing, the Powerful One, reveal thy ingredients."_ Images of each ingredient manifested above the cup, and she frowned. "Why have you put in a powerful intoxicant into the mix for Lord Mahado? If he were to swallow this, his lust would be uncontrollable for the spellcaster."

It took all of my self-control not to put my hands around her neck. "You bitch! You intended to seduce my husband in this fashion!"

Yewera's eyes hardened with hatred, but she still held to her lie. "I tell you, Your Majesty, I have no idea how that came to be in the brew. Maybe I placed it there by mistake. If that is the case, forgive me."

I quickly contemplated what I could do to punish her; I could exile her, or throw her into prison for a few days. But I had no actual proof of her intention, only a vision that I saw in my water-scrying that occurred months before.

"I shall overlook this one instant, Yewera," Lady Aseneit warned severely. "But if such a mistake happens again, you will be dismissed. I cannot have you putting my clients in danger, advertently or inadvertently. See to it that you are more careful next time."

"Yes, Lady Aseneit."

"I will forgive you as well, Yewera," I hissed. "But know this; my husband will never succumb to your wiles. I know what you did at the front; you tried to seduce him. If I catch you so much as casting a lustful glance in Mahado's direction, I will have you exiled. Do I make myself clear?"

"A snake like you doesn't deserve his love," she answered viciously. "I would rather succeed in seducing him and winning his love and face exile than to sit by and watch his love go to waste."

"Such impudence is improper before your Queen Regent!" Lady Aseneit scolded, slapping her across the face. "Apologize this instant, or I will have you turned out!"

Yewera glared at her, but then she bit her lip and bowed her head in resentment. "Forgive my insolence, my lady Queen."

"You would do well to remember that you are only here by our good graces," I warned as I turned away. I quickly remixed the brew, poured it into a goblet, and swept from the room.

* * *

"What's the matter, my love?" Mahado asked as I walked in. "You look absolutely furious!"

"Forgive me for taking so long, Mad," I said. "But I was right! That wench Yewera does have designs on you! Lady Aseneit asked her to brew the concoction for your fever, and just as I was about to leave, she ordered me to stop, and found that Yewera had added an extra ingredient, one that would have made your lust for her uncontrollable! So I discarded it and remixed it myself. And I warned that bitch that if she were to try to seduce you again, I would have her exiled."

His eyes widened. "How did you know that she had tried to seduce me before?"

It was in that instant that I had realized that I never told him about Isis teaching me how to water-scry. For some reason, I was rather reluctant to reveal this to him. "Well… while you were away, Isis taught me how to water-scry, using my heka to look into a bowl of water and black ink to watch events as they are occurring. I spied on you and Atem a couple of times, just to ensure that you were safe. On one of these nights, I witnessed the exchange with Yewera."

Mahado looked guilty. "I should have known that Isis would show something like that to you so that you wouldn't worry excessively. But Jani, I never even looked at her, and I never knew that she lusted after me. If I had known-"

I hushed him by putting two of my fingers on his lips. "It doesn't matter, I know that you threw her out of your tent," I said. I handed him the cup. "Now drink up, and you shall be feeling better in no time!"

He gratefully took the cup and drained its contents. "I can't believe Mana has caused all this trouble for me," he complained. "But best of luck in dealing with my students! Maybe after today you'll have a little more pity for me."

"Oh, I'm sure that with Semni's help, I won't have any trouble with them," I replied confidently.

"You simply must tell me all about it tonight; perhaps I could learn a thing or two from you," he teased. Glancing at the sundial, he warned. "You had better hurry to the baths if you want to make it to the meeting on time, or else you will be late."

"Haven't I told you before?" I replied mischievously. "A queen is never late; everyone else is simply early." I blew him a kiss before gliding along to the baths.

* * *

I let out a deep breath. _Please, Aset, please be with me in this endeavor._ Although I had experience teaching Aramen and tutoring Mana and Atem, I never had to teach more than two or three students at a time before. Pretty soon, my charges filed in. Six boys jostled each other as they entered, cracking jokes. Three older girls came in, gossiping, followed by Mana, who walked in all alone. I judged the boys to range from twelve to fourteen years of age, and the girls to be of a similar age. I was not at all surprised by the distribution of gender; many girls did not go on to the upper levels of learning magic, having either been betrothed or called to other professions by this age.

I waited until they had settled down at their tables before addressing them. "Greetings and Thoth's blessing on you all. Your teacher, Lord Mahado, is ill today, and so I shall be taking over for him."

At this, one of the boys blurted out. "Forgive me, my Queen, but what can you possibly know of magic and using one's heka?"

Semni responded sharply, "Watch your tongue, boy. You are speaking to the Queen Regent, and the greatest sorceress in the Two Lands. Her power rivals that of your teacher."

"If you really are so uninformed as to be ignorant of my capabilities, you shall see them soon enough," I added. "What is your name, boy?"

The boy replied proudly, "I am Kamen, son of Lord Amunhotep."

_So, he is the son of one of the lower viziers_, I observed silently. "Well then, Kamen, I assure you that I am just as competent a teacher as Mahado."

"Prove it, Your Majesty," he commanded arrogantly.

Semni made to rap his knuckles with a ruler, but I stayed him with my hand. "Very well then. As you all must know, in order to become full-fledged _hekaus_, you must have extensive knowledge of the basic spells, such as conjuring the elements." At this, I conjured a tongue of fire that transformed into a dragon and danced around the students. All of the girls and some of the boys cringed, but Kamen didn't flinch. "Of course, you must have exceptional control over your heka in order to be judged competent." At this, Mana looked down in shame. "You must also be able to transfigure objects." I snapped my finger, and one of the tables turned into a grunting pig, and I snapped them again to return it to its original state. "Last, but not least, you must also know some of the advanced battle spells." At this, I conjured my swords, and they all pointed towards Kamen. "But of course, you must be able to use them in combination with each other, and know when it is appropriate to apply which spells and when it is not." At that, I waved my hand, and Kamen's kilt became invisible, revealing his skimpy loincloth. The other students crowed with laughter, and he sprang to his feet and put his hands over his crotch in an attempt to cover himself, his face turning bright red. "So, Kamen, I have thus listed and demonstrated the skills of a great hekau; do you still doubt my abilities?"

"N-no, my Queen," he replied, thoroughly embarrassed. I nodded and waved my hand again, and his kilt reappeared.

"Excellent. Shall we proceed with today's lesson then?"

* * *

Mana was waiting nervously for me in the courtyard as I entered. "Is Mahado all right?" she sheepishly asked.

"He'll be fine by tomorrow; he is resting today, leaving me to teach you in his place." I mentally conjured my protective shield. "Now, shall we try conjuring swords again? This time, I have my shield up, so I shall not suffer as Mahado did."

Her lip quivered, and tears started to her eyes. "What's wrong, Mana?" I asked gently.

"I… I can't do it!" she wailed. "I don't know why, but every time Master Mahado comes, I get so nervous that I can't do anything right! I don't know why it's so hard for me! And he's furious with me for that accident; what if he doesn't ever want to teach me again?"

I put an arm around her shoulder. "There, there, Mana; it will be all right. My husband has told me that he is determined to continue your lessons, despite the accident. And I know that you are not entirely incompetent, given your prank on him yesterday. As you are growing, so is your heka, and perhaps the reason why you are having so much trouble with it is because it is evolving faster than you are. You just need a little more practice and a little more concentration, and in time, you shall become a great _hekau_, I know it."

"You really think so?" she sniffled.

"Of course, my sister wouldn't be saying it if she didn't think so, and I must say that I agree with her. You definitely have what it takes to become just as great a _hekau_ as Mahado and Jani," Atem said as he entered the courtyard.

"But I'm just so clumsy!" she sobbed.

Atem gently wrapped her in his arms and wiped away her tears as tenderly as a lover. "Just pretend that you are practicing with me; you never have trouble with your heka when we do. During these lessons, just pretend that it's the two of us. Can you do that?"

"I'll… I'll try," she said as she wiped away the rest of her tears.

"Good. I believe I shall observe from a safe distance," he said as he stepped back.

"Very well. So, shall we begin, Mana? Conjure your swords, and then I shall perform the spell so that they will turn into water upon impact. When you are ready, fire them at me."

She did as I commanded, but when she gave the command for them to move, they didn't. "Try it again, Mana." She closed her eyes in concentration, and then the swords moved and crashed into my shield. "Well done!" I praised.

"I did it! I did it! Prince, did you see that?" she exclaimed, jumping up and down.

Atem applauded. "See? I knew you could!"

"Now, let's have you try your Shielding Charm." I conjured my swords, and when she nodded, I fired them at her. A few of them hit her, turning into water against her skin. "That wasn't bad. Let's try it again, and see if you can shield yourself against all of them. You must imagine a solid wall between yourself and the swords. If it helps, think of yourself as the palace, and those thick walls as your shield. Ready?" I fired them again, and this time she managed to shield all of them. "An excellent improvement! Mahado will be pleasantly surprised at your next lesson."

"That was awesome, Mana!" Atem said as he ran in and swung her around in a hug. Out of the corner of my eye I saw some nobles walking by, and they raised their eyebrows as they witnessed this. I glared at them, and they averted their eyes and continued on their way.

"I believe that is enough for today, but you have made great improvement, Mana," I said. She beamed with pride.

"Come on, let's go for a ride!" Atem took her hand and pulled her towards the stable. "We'll see you at the banquet tonight, Sister!" I smiled to myself; it seemed that the affection between the two of them was growing. I was glad that Atem had his eye on Mana instead of one of those simpering airheaded noble girls; however, I didn't realize that there were others who were not so glad, and they would prove to be a problem in the future.

* * *

The next day found Mahado fully recovered and ready to return to his duties. That night, at the banquet, he said to me, "Mana has greatly improved during her lesson today. She told me that she had practiced her Shielding Charm with you, and it has strengthened substantially. How did you accomplish this miracle?"

I smiled. "Oh, it wasn't difficult; all she needed was a little encouragement is all, and plenty of praise when she gets a spell right."

"But surely there must be some secret to your success," he insisted as he refilled my goblet. "Come on, what is it?"

My smile widened even more as I silently took a sip, leaving him puzzling over how I had managed something he could not.

* * *

"My Queen! Mahado! Come quickly!" Semni came running into our antechamber one night as we were preparing to go to bed. "Aramen has begun her labor pains!"

"Have you sent for Lady Aseneit?"

"Yes; she is already there!"

"Alright, give us a moment," Mahado replied. "Don't worry, my friend; your wife is in good hands, and she is young and healthy."

We found our clothes and hurried to their villa. I made my way inside the bedchamber while Semni and Mahado waited in the antechamber. Beads of sweat were forming on Aramen's forehead. Lady Aseneit was giving her a concoction.

Upon seeing me, she gave a strained smile. "Jasana! Thank Hathor you've come!"

I grasped her hand, and she squeezed it tightly as a contraction gripped her. "Just breathe, inhale… and exhale. You must try to keep your breathing as steady as possible; it will give you strength to bear the child," I said. I had only assisted Lady Aseneit at one other birth, and I gave Aramen the same advice Lady Aseneit had given her client that time.

She let out a little cry of pain. "By the gods, why does childbirth have to be so painful?"

"It is how women were created," Lady Aseneit replied ruefully. "Come now, just keep breathing…" She set up a long strip of linen tied to each of the bedposts. "When you feel a contraction, simply pull on this rope so you won't crush the Queen's hand." At this, Aramen gave out a loud cry and tugged on the rope.

"I'm not going to survive this!" she gasped. "Gods, I won't live to see my child grow up!" Tears filled her eyes.

"Nonsense," I said soothingly, mopping her brow. "This is only your first child, and you are strong and healthy. You shall survive this and have more children, I'm sure of it." But I felt a small flutter of fear at these words; I had heard my mother say them to Nebatet, and they had proven to be true. _Oh goddesses_, I prayed, _please don't let her die! Semni needs her! The child needs her!_

"My lady Queen, would you please go and fetch more clean water?" Lady Aseneit asked me.

"Of course," I said, relieved to have some useful task to do besides giving Aramen comfort.

As I exited the bedchamber, Semni came running. "How is she doing?" he asked anxiously.

I bit my lip and hesitated for a second, unsure of how to respond. "She is fine," I replied. "The labor is progressing as it should."

Aramen gave out another cry then, and he paled. "By the gods… I'm not going to lose her, am I?"

"Lady Aseneit hasn't lost a single mother yet," Mahado replied, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "Come; let's play another round of Senet." He drew him to a table where the board was set up."

"How long has it been?" I asked.

"A good two hours," my husband replied.

"Then it has only begun, I'm afraid. Excuse me; I must go and get more water." Semni pointed out the kitchen to me, and a servant filled a large bowl.

I reentered the bedchamber, and Aramen was panting. "Please talk to me, Jasana, talk about anything to take my mind off the pain!"

"Shall I tell you a story about the gods?"

"Yes, please!" she answered as she groaned.

I told her story after story, beginning with how Ra created the world, of the birth of Aset and her siblings, and of Aset and Osiris. I racked my brain, searching for every story that I had ever heard. Then, with Aseneit's help, I recalled the story of how Hathor became the Eye of Ra, how Aset learned Ra's secret name. The last one I comforted her with was the tale of Reddetet, and how the goddesses had assisted her in delivering her three sons, all of which became Kings of Egypt.

Finally, Lady Aseneit said, "It is time for the birthing brick!" Her assistants and I helped her out of the bed and placed her feet on the bricks. Two stood at either side, and I stood at the back, taking the customary places of the goddesses. Lady Aseneit stooped down so that she could catch the child. "Come on, Aramen, push!" we all encouraged her. You are almost there! Push with all your might!" With one last cry and shudder, the baby slid out into Lady Aseneit's hands, and we heard a strong, hearty wail.

"It's a girl! You have a daughter!" Lady Aseneit cried. We helped Aramen into her bed, where she collapsed with exhaustion.

"Let me hold her," she whispered, and Lady Aseneit wrapped the baby in linen and handed it to her. "She's perfect," she murmured, and tears of joy filled her eyes.

Semni came bursting through the door, followed by Mahado. Seeing that his wife was alive, his face loosened with relief. "Aramen, my love!" He rushed to her side and kissed her forehead.

"You have a beautiful healthy daughter," I said. "Congratulations. What shall you name her?"

Aramen and Semni looked at each other for a moment, and then Aramen answered, "Ankhseheret."

"A fine name for such a wonderful child," Mahado said. Aramen passed the child to Semni, and he beheld his daughter with wonder. I felt Mahado's arms come around me, and I could read his thoughts on his face. _That will be us soon enough_, he seemed to say.

"Would you like to hold her?" Semni passed his daughter to us, and the both of us held her in our arms. I felt a surge of joy as we held the little miracle between the two of us. _So this is what holding my own newborn child will feel like,_ I thought to myself. I gently placed Ankhseheret in her mother's arms.

"We would like the two of you to be her godparents," Aramen said, and Semni nodded.

I placed a hand over my heart, and Mahado replied, beaming, "We would be honored, and we shall help you present her to the gods."

Semni insisted that we stay in the villa for some rest, even though the palace was only a short distance away. He had the servants show us into a guest bedchamber, and once we fell onto the bed we immediately fell asleep, wrapped in each other's arms as Ra was reborn into the world.

* * *

**Finally I'm able to log on and update! Thanks for reading, and please leave a review too! Next update will be coming shortly! :)**


	46. A Disturbing Rumor

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh**

* * *

"My lady Queen, the ocean welcomes you!" The ship captain said with a flourishing bow.

I ran to the prow, drinking in the rich, salty sea air, welcoming it like an old friend. _Oh, I've missed you so much_, I thought mentally. _Trust Atem to have the best idea._ I smiled as I recalled how Atem had talked me into taking this brief vacation.

"I'm now thirteen years old! I'm old enough to handle the kingdom for several days without letting it fall to pieces! Shimon will be there to help me! Besides, you need a vacation, Sister, and you know it!" he had said to me shortly after Aramen had given birth. Eventually, Mahado persuaded me that it really was for the best, and I had relented. Now, I didn't regret doing so one bit.

Mahado joined me at the front of the ship. "By Thoth, this is the happiest I've seen you since we returned from the front and you told me that you were with child," he murmured into my ear.

I stepped closer to him with a contented sigh. "There's something healing about the ocean," I said, closing my eyes as Shu's breath combed through my hair.

My husband chuckled as he wrapped his arms around me, leaning his head on my shoulder. "I warrant that I shall have to drug you and carry on board in order to leave this place by the time we're through," he teased.

"I don't think that will be necessary," I replied. "I haven't forgotten that duty awaits me in Thebes and that I'm still the Queen Regent."

Mahado rolled his eyes. "Really, Jani, can't you cast aside that crown for a little while? That's the whole reason that we're here, so that you can have a break! What good will it do if you are brooding over what needs to be done when you return? The future will come when it will, my love. But enjoy the present, for that is all we have. And as far as we are concerned, we are nobody but Mad and Jani, come to Alexandria for a getaway. We could be anybody here, and that is the beauty of this city being so far away from Thebes."

"Indeed, you speak true," I conceded. I turned to the Captain. "Captain, for the duration of the trip, you are only to address me as 'Lady Jasana', not 'My Lady Queen'. And see to it that the rowers are silent; I don't want tongues flapping and sparking rumors all over the city. The reason we came here is so that we can be anonymous. That is an order."

The captain bowed. "Of course, my lady Qu- I mean, my lady Jasana."

"I do hope that my brother has left the villa intact," I said. "I'm a little nervous about what we'll see when we get there."

"Well, we'll just have to find out, although I think he and Mana wreaked all their havoc on the city, leaving our precious villa alone. After all, it was by your grace that they were able to go, and I'm sure that they would want to come again, so they left it alone."

Sure enough, when we alighted from our palanquin, everything was as I remembered it. Only a few new paintings were any indication that Atem had left his mark on the place, and I rather liked them; he had made sure that any decoration changes he made corresponded with the theme already in place. I felt a small tug of sadness as I remembered that it was Father who had chosen and commissioned most of the artwork here. I silently said a prayer for his soul

"What are you brooding about, my love?" my husband asked, helping a servant carry one of our trunks in. "Come on, I'm desperate for a bath, but I'm not having one without you!" He swept me off my feet before I could protest.

We spent a heavenly five days in the city. The last night was the best of all. We watched the sunset from our balcony as we ate our dinner, and then we visited the stable near the villa and saddled two horses, and rode to the beach in Khonsu's silver light.

Small waves lapped at the horses' hooves, but they seemed unfazed. Surely Nephthys would have shied at the cold water, but these steeds seemed used to it.

"It's so magical and peaceful here," I sighed, my fingers entwined with my husband's.

"Indeed," he concurred. He pulled his horse to a stop, dismounted, and held his hand out to me. I slid of my horse and into his arms. "This is a most romantic place, don't you think?" He bent his head down and began to kiss my neck.

"Mmmhmmm." I could only hum agreement as his hands began undoing the clasps of my dress. "Mad…" I whispered, "someone could come out here and catch us!"

"In the middle of the night?" He drew me down onto the soft sand with him. "Come, Jani, they're all snuggled up in their beds. Besides, I can't even wait until we return to the villa, I want you now."

That night was unforgettable. The sea lapped at our feet as we gave in to the pleasures of each other's body, torturing each other with agonizingly slow strokes and caresses, and our sighs of fulfillment blending in with the seductive song of the sea. We sleepily remounted our horses and made for our villa. _I shall miss this place_, I thought sadly. For some reason, I had a foreboding feeling that Mahado and I would never come here again, not together, at least. Shuddering, I snuggled closer to my husband. _That's ridiculous_, I chided myself. _It may be a long time before we can come back here, but we will, surely we will. We still have a long time together ahead of us…_ I had imagined us growing old and retiring there together, enjoying visits from our children and grandchildren. Smiling at the thought, I let myself drift off to the land of dreams. I was only twenty then, and Mahado and I had only been married for three years. Little did I know that we would not have much more time together in this world, and that the gods would be so cruel to us as to make the dream of us growing old together simply that: only a dream that would never come true.

* * *

When we arrived in Thebes, I observed the servants loading another barge. "What's this?" I asked one of the servants.

"We are preparing for the Prince's journey, my Queen," the servant answered.

I snapped my head around. "What? Why was I not consulted?"

The servant shifted uncomfortably on his feet. Seeing as that I would not get an answer from him, I immediately went in search for my brother.

It wasn't difficult to find him; he was practicing his magic with Mana. He greeted me with an innocent grin. "Sister! Mahado! You've returned, and you're early!" He immediately ran over and hugged me.

"No, we're right on schedule. What is this about you taking a journey? Why didn't you tell me?"

He looked at me sheepishly. "Well, Shimon said that one of us should go on progress and observe the results of the harvest for this year's shomu, and also to inspect the wares that our trading ships have gone on. Since you were gone, I thought that I would be the one to make this trip. As for why I didn't tell you well… Shimon barely brought it up when you were gone, and I figured that by the time I got a message to you, you would already be on your way back."

"So when do you leave?" I asked.

"The day after tomorrow."

I sighed. "Very well, Atem, you may go, but only if one of the Guardians goes with you."

"Seto has already kindly volunteered to go with me, and Shada will be coming along as well; he can't resist inspecting the books that have come in from faraway lands."

"But of course; he would never give up such a golden opportunity," I said, allowing myself to smile. "Do be careful, Atem."

"Of course I will," he answered gaily. "Although it will be a long month without you, Sister, or without you, Mana."

Mana gaped at him. "You're going to be gone an entire _month_? But who will practice my magic with?"

"You'll have the other students," he said gently. "And it's not forever; I'll be back before you know it!"

"But a month is a long time! And I don't really like the other students; they always tend to ignore me because I'm one of the youngest, and they resent me because Master Mahado has chosen me to be his apprentice. You're the best one to practice with!" Then she gasped and put her hands over her mouth, blushing as if she had not meant to say the last sentence.

Atem tenderly hugged her. "Well, at least you'll have Mahado and my sister."

"I suppose," she said forlornly. "But I'll still miss you immensely."

"And I'll miss you too, Mana," he said reassuringly. "Anyway, I suppose I had better to go and make sure that the preparations are proceeding smoothly. If you will excuse me…" With a small bow that made us laugh, he took his leave.

Mana turned to me, tears filling her eyes. "You don't think he'll meet some beautiful foreign princess while he's away and forget all about me, do you?"

I chuckled. "I don't think so, Mana."

"But it could happen, couldn't it?" she insisted. "There are lots of other girls who are far prettier than I am, and are older and more mature and more developed…"

"Looks aren't everything," I said gently. "What matters the most is what is inside your heart. I'm sure that Atem cares for you because of the essence of your spirit and your personality, not for the way you look."

"They might not be everything, but they certainly don't hurt either. I wish I was more beautiful," she whined.

I raised her chin so that our eyes met. "You are beautiful in your own way- one that cannot be defined by paints or pretty clothes. I'm sure that it is this inner beauty that Atem sees in you, Mana. But in order for it to really shine, you must see it too."

"Why does it have to be so difficult?"

"Because you are growing up. Give yourself a few more years, and I promise you that it'll be easier to see."

* * *

The day Atem set off with Seto and Shada was the day that Mahado's month of duty in the temple began. I inwardly sighed as I helped move his belongings into his other chamber. "You would think by now that I've gotten more used to these months of duty, but I still haven't."

Mahado encircled his arms around my waist. "Neither have I, my love. But it's not forever, and it's not like I'm physically gone from the palace like the Prince. I can still see you during the day; I'll just be absent from your bed is all."

"That's true," I said ruefully. Suddenly I felt dizzy, and I leaned against him.

"Jani! What's wrong?" Mahado searched my face anxiously.

"Nothing," I replied. "I just became dizzy all of a sudden."

He immediately poured me a cup of water. "Perhaps it's because you haven't been drinking enough water, my love. You need to drink more, especially in this heat."

But half a month later, I began to have bouts of nausea, frequent headaches and backaches. This time around, I didn't need to consult Lady Aseneit to know the causes of these bodily changes: I was pregnant again. I quickly made my way to the shrine of Aset and lit a cone of incense in her honor. _Thank you, Great Mother, for I am with child again! Please, let all be well this time…._

After invocations to Hathor and Heqet asking for their protection, I decided that this would be a good time to call on Aramen at her villa. It was one of the rare days where I was not to meet with the lower viziers, and so I called for a chariot to save myself the trouble of walking. I knew that Mahado wouldn't want me to overly exert myself, and after what happened the last time, I was more inclined to indulge his worries this time.

The servant ushered me into the reception room and bid me to wait while she fetched her mistress. Aramen came sailing in, with Ankhseheret at her breast.

"Jasana! What a pleasant surprise! I'm afraid you caught me in a rather compromised state here," she greeted sheepishly.

"I don't mind, but if it's an inconvenient time for you, perhaps I should come back at some other time?"

"Oh, it's not inconvenient at all! I've taken the day off from the medical wing in order to be with the little one here, but I was actually missing seeing everyone there. Here, let me show you around!" Holding her daughter in her arms, she showed me through all the rooms, pointing out works of art that she had acquired that I had yet to see.

"You hardly needed my help with the decorations; you already have a fine taste of your own," I complimented.

"But I did! I hadn't the slightest idea of art until you helped me, and my taste developed from there. Semni is particularly impressed with the mosaics I've commissioned in the baths. And wait till you see the bedroom…" She opened the door, and I froze in shock for a moment as I beheld a very erotic statue carved of cedar.

"Who is that?" I managed to ask.

"Min and his consort!" Aramen giggled. "One of Semni's friends gave it to us as a wedding gift to bring about an extra dose of fertility and to keep us excited. He's a bit of a pervert, but Semni didn't want to turn down the gift. Shall I commission a similar statue for you and Mahado?"

"No thank you; we don't need assistance to keep the romance blazing between us," I said jokingly. "In fact… it's still very much alive between us," I finished smugly, putting my hands over my belly.

Aramen immediately got the hint. "Oh, how wonderful, Jasana! Surely this time, all shall be well! Have you told Mahado yet?"

"Actually, I have not, now that I think about it. The first thing I did was go to the shrine of Aset to thank her, and then I came here. But I shall tell him tonight. He'll be beside himself with joy!"

"I'm sure he will be. Semni's told me that Mahado has become very partial to teaching, and that he can see him as a great father one day, judging from how patient and kind he is to his students."

"I told him as much, when he was first expressing reluctance at taking on the role. I knew he'd get used to it in time."

Aramen led me back into the reception room and directed me to the most comfortable chair. She called to a servant for barley beer and sweet cakes. "I've adopted Meret's recipe for these," she said as she bit into one. "They are absolutely divine!"

I bit into mine. "Indeed they are! Perhaps Meret would be so kind as to share the recipe with the palace cooks."

Aramen laughed. "You would have to pay her a hefty sum in order for that to happen; she learned it from our mother, and it's been a family secret for generations," she explained.

"Well, in that case, I shan't steal the family secret," I hastily replied. "Tell me, how fare your other sisters now that they are no longer my jailers and no longer have Meta's patronage?"

She chuckled. "Oh, they are doing quite well, actually. In fact, they seem to be happier now that Meta is gone, save for Teraset, whose prospects were the best when Meta took us under her wing. She was sure that with Meta's help, she would get offers from plenty of wealthy noblemen, marry one of them, have lots of children, and rule over us all for the rest of her days! She never thought that we would all find our own professions. Without us to boss around, she has nothing to do."

"But surely she has found someone?"

"No; Father has volunteered to put forth some men of his own choosing, but Teraset doesn't want some old bachelor. But nobody else has made any offers that are to her liking, and she is furious. In the meanwhile, Ankh-nefera has been training with the palace's head cosmetician, and she may take her place one day! Of course, Father is a little less than pleased, but she has managed to persuade him that one day, she will be able to open her own cosmetics shop. Safira is content with learning medicine, like me, but she is thinking about joining the priesthood of Sekhemet so that she can heal the less fortunate of the city. And Meret is currently training to be a Priestess of Hathor."

"How wonderful! And any offers of marriage for them?"

"Not yet, but I expect that they shall receive one soon. Safira is quite taken with a fellow physician-in-training at the temple, but Father still has yet to meet him. Meret still has yet to meet someone, but Ankh-nefera has been courted by a man for two years now, although she wants to wait until she opens her shop before she marries."

"So Teraset is the only one who has yet to find a profession or a husband," I observed.

"She only thought of being some wealthy nobleman's wife and spinning flax and hennaing her hands for the rest of her days. But who in their right mind would want to marry her? She'll become an old spinster hag, and it serves her right," she said derisively.

I looked at her, surprised at her hatred of her sister. "What? She's never liked me, and she still holds a grudge against me for making you and Mahado the chief witnesses at my wedding, and for asking the two of you to be the godparents for Ankhseheret. In her opinion, both of those honors should have gone to her since she's the oldest of my sisters. And she still thinks that I killed our mother; she died giving birth to me, even though Father has told her time and time again that it is not my fault."

I shuddered, glad that it never occurred to me to blame Atem for killing Mother. "So is that why she's never been that nice to you?"

She nodded. "And she shows a great deal of showering affection on my other sisters. But it doesn't matter, because here I am, with a husband who loves me and a child of my own, while there she is, all alone with nothing."

At that, Mahado and Semni came in. "I thought I would find you here!" Mahado said, sweeping me up into his arms. "The two of you are practically inseparable!"

"If I'm not mistaken, my love, you are making Mahado jealous; you had better beware," Semni teased.

"Now, whatever would make you think that?" Mahado asked.

"Well, I can't imagine, but perhaps it's because I'm the first to know of some important news," she said tantalizingly.

My husband turned to me. "What is she talking about?"

"Ooookay, I think Mad and I shall take a little walk about the river," I said, pulling my husband out of the room with me.

"But come back for dinner," Semni invited. "You'll love it; we're having all of my other sister-in-laws here and their father, except for Teraset, who has refused all of our invitations. Meret has offered to cook."

That was enough temptation. "We'll be back before you know it," I promised.

I called for the chariot, and the driver brought it around. "Why did you bring the chariot when you could have walked?" Mahado asked. Then his eyes widened. "Wait, are you-?"

"Shhh… I'm waiting for the right moment to tell you," I answered as the chariot neared the river. We got out at our favorite spot and began walking. We lazily ambled, our arms about each other's waists, and I gazed at the golden light dancing on the water.

"So, are you going to keep me in the dark?" my husband prompted.

I giggled. "Oh, maybe for just a little bit longer." I laid my head on his shoulder and drank in the scent of him. I reveled in the sensation as he inhaled the smell of my hair.

"Come on, don't make me wait," he growled. "What's this news that Aramen beat me to hearing?"

I turned around to face him. I looped my arms around his neck and brought my face close to his. "I'm pregnant again, Mad," I whispered, hardly daring to believe it myself.

He beamed and swung me around in a big hug. "I knew it! I knew it was only a matter of time before it happened again! I told you so, my love, didn't I?"

"So you did," I agreed, brushing my fingers through his hair.

"And this time, all will be well, I'm sure of it," he said as he drew me close.

"I most certainly hope so," I replied, laying my head on his chest as we watched the sun set.

* * *

I sighed, settling down on the couch with a scroll in my arm. "Would you please fetch me a cup of barley beer?" I asked the servant.

"Most certainly, my lady Queen," she said before bowing and leaving the room. I unfurled the scroll and began to read; it was a report from Shada and Atem about their journey's progress. I became so engrossed in my reading that sometime later, when the servant returned with a cup, I still had yet to touch it.

Mahado came walking into the room. "What's this? My lady Queen in a rare moment of afternoon leisure?" he teased.

I smiled. "It's really strange hearing you address me as 'My Lady Queen'", I said.

"Would you rather hear me call you my 'Beloved Mother-to-be'?" he rejoined as he kissed me.

"That's somewhat better," I said.

He lifted the cup. "Do you mind?" I gestured for him to take a sip, and he did so. Then his face darkened. "Did you drink from this cup?" he asked urgently.

"No," I answered, startled by the change in his mood. "What's wrong?"

"I taste acacia in it."

I could feel myself blanching. "But that's an abortive! If I had drunk from it…"

He immediately rose to his feet. "Come, there's not a moment to lose."

I summoned the servant. "Someone has tainted this wine with acacia! Do you know who?"

She nervously stammered, "I… I b-beg your pardon, my l-lady Queen, but I do not know. I merely went to the kitchen to request it, although I thought that the servant boy took a bit longer than I expected."

Mahado sighed. "Well, there's no use in cross-examining him; there are tons of servants in the kitchen. But I know how we can pinpoint the culprit. First, we must take precautions." I followed him into the medical wing.

Lady Aseneit rose from her table where she was mixing potions. "Greetings, Lord Mahado, and my lady Queen. How may I be of assistance?"

"My wife almost took some acacia by accident; it was slipped into her barley beer," Mahado said. "Is there anything that can safeguard from its effects if the culprit were to try again?"

Lady Aseneit gasped at this news, and then sadly shook her head. "I'm afraid there is not; the only way to ensure that the lady Queen does not ingest acacia is to watch her food and drink at all times. It is not a poison that can be detected with spells."

Mahado sighed with disappointment. "I thank you, Lady Aseneit." He then walked out of the medical wing, with me following on his heels.

"Where are you going now?" I asked.

"To see Isis; maybe she can use her Necklace to help us."

Sure enough, we found Isis by her scrying fire. She stood to greet us. "What's the matter?" she asked, seeing the grim look on my husband's face.

"We want you to see if you can use the power of your Necklace to help us. Someone tried to induce Jani to have a miscarriage by slipping acacia into her beer."

Isis's eyes widened at this, but then she regained her composure. "I most certainly will try. When did the event occur?"

"Over the course of the last hour. Try focusing on the events taking place in the kitchen; the servant who gave Jani the beer told us that she went to the kitchens to get it, but she thought that the boy took longer than was expected."

Isis sat by her fire and closed her eyes. The Millennium Necklace began to glow, and we waited quietly while she did her scrying. She opened her eyes and faced us. "I was successful. The culprit was that new apprentice of Lady Aseneit's, Yewera. She was there, and she was waiting with a dose of acacia. She overheard the servant asking for some barley beer, and she slipped the acacia into it."

I was so angry that I could have sworn that I was seeing red. "That's it! That's the last straw!" I walked out of the room. "Guards!" Three guards immediately answered my summons. "You are to arrest the lady Yewera and bring her to me in the throne room. I shall be waiting there. Summon Shimon, Akhnadin, and Karim as well." They bowed and did my bidding. "Come, Isis, I shall need you to provide testimony as well."

We all gathered in the throne room, and the guards ushered in Yewera. "What is the meaning of this?" she demanded as if she were the Queen and not I.

"You are in no position to be making demands of me, you conniving bitch," I said coldly, looking down on her from my throne. "Is it true that you slipped acacia into my beer so that I would have a miscarriage?"

"No; why would I do such a heinous thing?" she drawled. But the look in her eyes told me that she was lying.

"Lord AKhnadin, see into her mind and tell us the truth," I ordered.

My uncle obliged. "She lies; she did indeed commit the crime that you accuse her of."

"You shall pay dearly for this," I snarled. "Guards! Throw her into the dungeons! She shall spend the rest of her days there!"

"Don't you think that's a bit much, Jasana?" my uncle chided.

"She tried to kill my child! She tried to kill one of the House of Horus! As such, she deserves death! Sentencing her to life in prison is merciful by comparison!"

"If I may make such a suggestion, my lady Queen," Akhnadin said, "perhaps exile would be better. That way, she would not be able to escape and plot against you again. And there would not be a chance for her to be granted clemency on any of the religious holidays."

I nodded, slightly annoyed by Akhnadin's insistence. "Fine. Yewera, I hereby banish you from the Kingdom of the Two Lands. You shall be provided with enough sustenance to last you for a month, but you are to leave Egypt never to return again, on pain of death. Go wherever you want; go to the Lair of Ammitt for all I care. You will have until sunset to leave." The guards ushered her out.

She turned around and called out, "Mahado! How can you stand there? You care for me, I know you do! You belong with me, not with that shrew you call your wife! Why don't you tell her of what happened between us, how you took me in your tent? Tell her!" Mahado remained where he was, ignoring her cries, and ignoring the suspicious stares cast in his direction.

One of the lower courtiers who happened to be in the throne room at the time turned to my husband. "Well, Mahado? What do you say to her accusations?"

"They are nothing but lies," Mahado snapped.

"Are you sure? Such accusations are very grave indeed, especially if they are levied against a Sacred Guardian of the Pharaoh," Lord Amunhotep pressed. _By Ra, it is easy to see where his son's arrogance came from_, I thought to myself.

"You heard my husband; he has denied the claims, and his word is as good as his heart," I said regally. "Enough on this topic."

"I'm afraid I must insist, my Lady Queen. The husband of the Queen Regent must be beyond reproach."

"And I say that he is; whatever other objection can you possibly have?"

"Of course you would; he is your beloved husband, after all."

I angrily rose to my feet. "You dare accuse me of lying, Lord Amunhotep? You know that I could strip you of your office with a snap of my fingers."

"If you do that, then I could just as easily spread rumors of your husband's infidelity, and there would be others who would believe me and question the validity of your marriage to him."

_He must be working in tandem with Kenut!_ I realized. "You are too insolent for your own good," I growled.

"Let's settle this once and for all, you cur," Mahado said, stepping between us. "I shall gladly submit myself to an inspection of my mind from Lord Akhnadin."

"You will need to remove your Ring in order for me to be successful," my uncle said.

"Very well." He slid his Ring off and handed it to me. "But be sure not to put it on, my love," he warned. He stood before my uncle and took a deep breath, releasing all of his heka from his body for a moment.

The Eye glowed, and then Akhnadin declared, "The Lord Mahado speaks the truth; he has not committed adultery with that woman, and in fact it was she who tried to seduce him, but he resisted. Is there any other question of his character that you would like inspected now that we are in the middle of this matter, Lord Amunhotep?"

"N-no," Lord Amunhotep answered, chastised.

"Well then, you are dismissed," I said to him. "And I would think twice next time before accusing my husband of any heinous deeds, or anyone, for that matter. Or else you might find that I won't be as patient and merciful with you and replace you."

* * *

I anxiously paced the throne room back and forth. "Where could they be? They were supposed to return yesterday!" I said frantically. "The least they could do was to send a message."

Mahado looked at me and sighed; he knew that it was useless to placate me when I paced like this. Beside the two of us, only Karim and Shimon were there. I did not think my uncle could do anything to calm me down- not that I would have had him try anyway.

Karim scratched away on a sheet of papyrus, saying the words aloud as he wrote them.

_"The Lady Queen in anxiety strides,_

_Raging to and fro like the tides…"_

I smiled feebly at Karim's humor. "I see you're still ever the poet, Karim."

He grinned. "But I'm having trouble with how to finish this. 'But her lord and love stands nigh / If I were not here, they surely would-"

"Are you sure you want to finish that line?" Mahado said in a jokingly menacing fashion.

Just then, a messenger came in. "My lady Queen, they are docking!"

"Thank the gods!" I sighed in relief before starting at a run towards the dock.

Atem had just disembarked before I enveloped him into a tight hug. "You have a lot of explaining to do, Brother! Why are you late, and why did you not send word?"

"Sorry to worry you, Jasana, but we didn't anticipate that we would be running a bit late. Come, we shall explain all to you once we have gone inside," Seto answered.

I nodded. "Indeed, this place isn't the best for an interview. Come, let's go to the throne room and get you some refreshments; I'm sure that by now you are famished."

As we made our way to the throne room, Atem was nearly knocked over by someone with a huge mane of bushy brown hair. "Prince! You're back! But you're late!" Mana pouted.

Atem laughed. "It's certainly good to see you again, Mana. It's been too long!" Mana joined the party as we made our way to the throne room.

By the time we entered, Isis and Akhnadin had come back as well. "Shada, Seto, my Prince! It's certainly good to see you again," Isis greeted warmly.

"Welcome back, Shada and Seto," Akhnadin said, holding his arms out. I thought that he made for Shada, but it was Seto that he enveloped in his arms, and I thought I heard him murmur under his breath, "_my boy_". I was surprised at this show of affection from my uncle, and I couldn't help feeling a surge of jealousy, even though I knew that I had denied myself the chance of ever feeling his comforting arms around me again. Suddenly, as they pulled apart, I thought I had a premonition as I noticed that they were of a similar build, and their chins jutted in an almost identical way. _What if Seto was his son? _I asked myself. Then I almost laughed out loud and banished the thought. _Surely not! They don't look alike! _The moment passed, and I settled down on the throne.

The doors opened, and the three lower viziers entered, followed by the Captain of the Guard. They made their obeisance. "Welcome back, my Prince, Lord Seto, and Lord Shada," Lord Sep-u-khamen said.

"It's good to be back," Atem said, smiling.

"So, Brother, why were you late?"

"First, I believe Shada and Seto should make the reports on the harvest and the trade." They obliged, reporting the number of bushels of grain that had been harvested, and how many goods and of what kind, and so on so forth.

Then Seto cleared his throat, and Shada said. "On our way to the ports, we have heard disturbing rumors."

I felt my insides turn, and nausea gripped me. I swallowed hard, willing myself to get over it. "What sort of rumors?"

"The villagers have been talking about a Thief King, one who rides in the middle of the night and raids the villages for whatever finery he can find. Most have taken to entrusting their valuables to the vaults in the temples, and when the vaults have been filled, they have buried their gold into the floor of their houses. There have been only a handful of deaths, but only because most of the time the villagers have turned over their treasures willingly in exchange for their lives."

I rose to my feet. "This won't do! Captain, send soldiers to man every major town in the kingdom, and the larger villages. When you capture this so-called Thief King, send him here, and we shall punish him accordingly."

The Captain bowed. "Yes, my Queen." He immediately left to do my bidding.

* * *

That night, the feast in the banquet hall was more lavish than usual as we welcomed Seto, Shada, and Atem from their long journey. I laughed at Atem's tales of the trip and how he managed to pull some tricks on Seto and Shada.

"I see that you still haven't lost your touch for pranks," I said, giggling as I tried to swallow my wine.

"I wish I had been there to play along," Mana pouted. I could see that she was resenting the fact that Atem had been talking mainly to me the entire time.

Atem looked over on his other side and patted her hand. "But now that we're back, we can pull off all the pranks that we want!"

"I'll be sure to be on my guard from now on then," I said teasingly. "Oh Ra, I can't believe that I haven't told you this yet! I'm with child again!"

Atem smiled and flung his arms around me. "Congratulations, Sister!" He stood on his feet, and the hall fell silent. "A toast to my sister, who is once again with child! Let's hope that this time all shall be well!" The other courtiers smiled and raised their cups to me.

I found that I didn't have much of an appetite, and so I only nibbled at a dish here and there. "Is something wrong, my love?" Mahado asked worriedly.

I shook my head. "I just don't have much of an appetite tonight for some reason, Mad," I answered.

"Perhaps it's just a sign of your condition," he observed. "Here, at least try some of this broth; it won't be too hard on your stomach." I obliged him.

All around me I could hear threads of whispers about Yewera and the words she had shouted at my husband. Atem heard them as well, and he turned to me. "What this I hear about you exiling a woman named Yewera, and what was it between her and Mahado?"

"Nothing, my Prince," Mahado answered shortly, and Atem raised an eyebrow.

"I exiled her because she attempted to poison my child with acacia. Only Aset knows where she is now."

"Don't you think that's a bit extreme, Sister?" Atem asked. "Perhaps you were only looking for an excuse to get rid of her, and once the perfect opportunity came up, you took advantage of it?"

I rose to my feet. "She tried to kill my child, Atem! That's not an abuse of power; she got what was just! If I were abusing my power, I would have sentenced her to death! I was of a mind to sentence her to life in prison, but Akhnadin begged me to be merciful, and so I was and drove her into exile, providing her with enough sustenance for a month and letting her gather her belongings before she left!" Suddenly, not being in the mood for the banquet hall anymore, I turned on my heel and stormed out. I didn't want to create more of a scene than I already did.

Behind me, I could hear Atem calling out, "I didn't mean to upset you, Jani! Please come back!"

"I'm sure that she just wishes to be alone; it is her condition inducing these moods, not you," Mahado hastily assured him before rushing after me.

He finally caught up with me at the balcony in our chambers. Quietly, tentatively, he approached me, and I could sense his fear that my mood would turn on him. He hesitantly wrapped his arms around me. "Jani…"

"Don't say a word," I snapped. "How dare he even suggest that I was abusing my power? That wench got what she deserved!" I paused, letting out an exhale and evaluating Atem's words more carefully. "But then, I did want her gone and away from the palace, away from you…"

He tightened his grip. "I wanted her gone too, Jani. But the Prince didn't know what he was saying, and he is young yet; he doesn't understand the jealousy one feels when one's love is threatened. I'm sure that in time, he will also feel the same jealousy, and will face the same tough decision." I didn't know exactly how accurate Mahado's guess would be.

I turned around to face him. "I suppose I let my moods get the better of me. By Ra, I hate them." Suddenly, without warning, tears filled my eyes, and I tried to wipe them away.

Mahado gently brushed them away with his fingertips. "I can't possibly imagine how hard this condition must be for you, my love, but I'm sure that Aramen knows; maybe she could provide some tips."  
I made to reply, but suddenly got hit with a bout of nausea. I rushed to find a basin, and Mahado held my hair from my face as I threw up the little of the evening meal that I had consumed. "I also hate these attacks of nausea," I sighed, wiping my mouth.

He called to a servant for some ginger water, and the servant returned promptly with it. He handed it to me. "Here, this shall settle your stomach. As well as this…" Another servant appeared with more duck broth, complete with a couple of eggs floating in it. "You don't have to eat all of it, just try taking at least one egg. It will give you strength and nourish the life growing inside your womb."

As I ate, I asked, "So, would you like a daughter or a son first?"

He smiled as he thought. "I think I'll be happy to leave that to the gods," he said. "Have you started thinking of names yet?"

I laughed. "I think it's a bit early for that; it's only been half a month since I knew for sure, and so I'm guessing that I conceived sometime in the sixth month."

"Perhaps it was during that one special night at the beach," he murmured.

"Yes, I like to think so," I replied, grasping his hand.

"So, shall we rejoin the party, or simply remain in the privacy of our own bedchamber? I shall leave that decision entirely to you." But the motion of his lips on my neck told me his preference.

I smirked as I closed my eyes. "I think we had better stay in here," I answered as he carried me to the bed. "And enjoy each other's company while we still can, for before long we will be bombarded by our children and have hardly a moment to ourselves."

"Indeed, but we need to make them first," he said as he ripped away my dress.

* * *

It took me an entire two days to forgive Atem; his words had cut me that deep. But eventually both he and my husband wore me down. "After all, could you really bear it if we were to never speak again, Sister?" Atem had pleaded.

I sighed. "I suppose not, Brother, but I would have forgiven you eventually."

Meanwhile, the guards still were not able to find the Thief King, and the rumors of his presence mounted. We received conflicting reports saying that he had been in two places on the same night, so we never really knew what to believe. Just as disturbing as these reports were the rumors that he was a great magician in his own right, with the might of a terrible monster at his disposal. This was really serious indeed; if the Thief King was harboring a powerful ka, then only the other Guardians, Atem, and I could stop him. But in order for us to do that, we had to catch him first, and he was still very elusive. Isis predicted that we would meet him one day, and I ordered the guards to be extra vigilant. Nevertheless, as the months wore on, there was still no sign of him intending to enter the city and meet us face-to-face.

As we waited anxiously for word of the Thief King, I was rewarded with a brief respite of relief as three months passed without incident concerning my growing belly, and then another two. Lady Aseneit told me that I was out of the danger zone for miscarriages, for most of them occurred within the first four months. Aramen gave me as much advice as she could, and I took it all to heart.

One night, I rolled over and awoke momentarily to see Mahado scratching away at a sheet of papyrus in the light of a single burning candle. "What are you doing, Mad?" I asked sleepily.

He smiled down at me, his eyes shining softly. "I couldn't sleep, so I thought I would attempt to capture your features as you slept." He held up the sheet for me to see.

I rubbed my eyes and inspected it. "A passable attempt, my love. Maybe with a bit more practice you could become quite good."

He chuckled. "Indeed, but I could never capture the peace in your face when you sleep."

"Then you might as well call it a night," I teased. Suddenly, feeling the baby move in me, I gasped.

Mahado immediately leaned over me. "Jani! What is it! Is something wrong?"

"No, on the contrary, I felt our child move!" I exclaimed.

"Really? Where?" he asked eagerly.

"Here; wait and see if you can feel it too." I placed his hand over my stomach.

After a few moments, his face creased. "I don't feel anything… wait! I felt it too! Just now!" His face filled with wonder, and he pressed his cheek to my stomach. "No child will be more loved than you, my little one," he murmured affectionately.

* * *

"By Ra, it aches! How in the world can women bear all this trouble just for the sake of children?" I complained.

Aramen chuckled. "Oh believe me, the little one is well worth it. In fact, I'm expecting another one."

I gaped at her. "You are? How far along are you?"

"About three months now, but Semni and I don't want to tell anyone else until the danger of miscarriage is over."

"But really, aren't the aches, mood swings, and chest pains irritable?"

She shrugged. "Oh they are, but that's the price of bearing children. Semni was really sweet and helpful and endured all my tirades, and every night towards the end he would rub my feet and my back."

"Mad does the same, but even so, I can't wait until it's my time." Suddenly my back seized with a particularly strong spasm, and I cried out.

"Normally such a strong ache is a sign of labor," Aramen said, paling, "but it can't possibly be your time yet!"

"Nevertheless, maybe we should go see Lady Aseneit," I groaned. She quickly wound her arm around my waist. With her help, and a great deal of effort, we made it to the medical wing, and by that time, my abdomen was seized with cramping as well.

"Just breathe deeply, my lady Queen, and rest…" Lady Aseneit crooned as she helped me into a bed.

"By the gods!" I cried as another contraction came. I heard Lady Aseneit send a servant after my husband, and then she quickly tied a rope across the bedposts for me to pull on while Aramen tucked protective amulets under my hand and chanted prayers to Hathor and Heqet.

I heard Lady Aseneit murmur at the door, "I'm sorry, my Prince and my Lord, but by tradition, men are not allowed near the woman while she labors. You may wait here if you wish."

"Mad!" I cried out in pain.

"I'm right here, my love, and I'll be waiting!" I heard him reply anxiously.

Lady Aseneit gave me a concoction, and I began to become dreamy, drifting in and out of consciousness. I heard her murmur, "It is no good; the child won't rest. And it is entirely too early; the chances are it will not survive. The best we can do is save the mother." It felt like a great wave of darkness was pouring over me, bearing me away, and I heard cries of "Push, my lady Queen!" and tried to oblige as best as I could.

Finally, it felt as if a huge lump was flowing out in between my legs, and I slumped with exhaustion. Mahado rushed in and propped me up in his arms. "Jani!"

"Mad…" I whispered. I reached out a shaking hand to touch his face before my vision faded into entire darkness.

* * *

I awoke shivering violently. Strong hands pulled an extra blanket over me, and I heard my husband say, "Rest, my love; you need to rest in order to regain your strength…"

I was besieged by strange dreams. Finally, I awoke, only to see my husband dozing lightly by my bed, his fingers entwined with mine. I felt my now-flat belly, and the realization hit me like cold water.

Lady Aseneit came in with a steaming cup of tea. "Here, drink this, my lady Queen, it shall restore your strength." Upon hearing her voice, Mahado awoke and propped me up as she fed me the tea. It was bitter, but I managed to drink it to the last drop.

"Where's the child?" I asked.

She looked to my husband, and then said sadly, "I'm sorry, my lady Queen, but there was no chance it could have survived. Your brother is seeing it to a quiet burial. Believe me, it is best if you do not see the corpse; mothers who have seen the corpses of their stillborn children take a longer time to get over their despair. The best you can do is to recover from your fever. You are still in a critical condition; I've known of mothers who die from this very fever after giving birth. But with plenty of rest and my care, you shall heal."

Tears started to my eyes, and Isis and Karim entered. Karim grasped my hand. "How are you feeling?"

"She's still feverish," Mahado answered for me.

Isis pressed a cool wet cloth to my forehead. "She needs to rest; perhaps we shouldn't have come."

"Will I ever have a healthy, living child?" I murmured in despair, ignoring what Isis just said.

She smiled down at me. "Yes, Jasana, you will; I have foreseen it: a little girl with your very eyes. You will have more; I am sure of it. You just need to be patient and have faith in the goddesses."

"Many mothers have lost two or more children," Karim added as he squeezed my hand. "I'm sure you will be no different, but you will be compensated with happiness in time."

With that, he and Isis left, and Mahado gently laid me down. "So Isis confirmed the vision, my love. Do not lose hope. Just focus on getting better, and then we will try again."

"But how can you bear the disappointment, Mad? I've failed you twice already!" The tears spilled from my eyes. "By now, you should have put me aside and found someone else who can bear you many fine and healthy children…"

He hushed me. "You are clearly delirious if you are talking like that. Of course I'm not going to put you aside; I'll have nobody else but you, Jani. You alone are queen of my heart, and you will be for as long as my ka wanders this world, and even in the Hall of Amenti I will have no other." He gently kissed me, doing his best to hold back the force of his passion. Cradling me against his chest as if I were a child myself, he murmured into my hair, "You alone are my one and only love, and in time you alone will be the mother of my children. I just know it." But despite his conviction and undaunted hope, I had difficulty believing him.

* * *

**And Jani will have a child in time, I promise! It's just not the right time yet. Anyway, thanks for reading, and please leave a review too!**


	47. Stolen

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh**

* * *

I threw back the curtains and inhaled the fresh, crisp, winter air. Once again it was time for the festival of the Extra Five Days, and the births of the Great Quartet. I stood on the balcony, enjoying a rare moment of solitude and peace. I inhaled, and then exhaled. _I have to put on a strong face for the country_, I reminded myself. _I have to ensure the people that all shall be well, even though I have lost a child only a week before…_

I squared my shoulders, determined to put the tragedy behind me. I knew that if I let myself grieve for months on end like I did during my first miscarriage, it would do me no good. The sooner I let myself heal and get back to trying to conceive, the better things would be. Besides, plenty of other mothers had lost children of their own, and yet they found the strength to carry on. I resolved to be like them. I was the Queen Regent after all, and the Mother of the Two Lands. Although I had lost the child in my womb, I still had a country to look after until my brother was ready to spread his wings as the Living Horus.

I came back inside, and Mahado sleepily rolled over. Feeling my empty place in the bed, he awoke with a start. Then, seeing me standing beside the bed, he relaxed and smiled at me. I chuckled. "About time you woke up, my love. Come, we have to bathe and then dress for the Festival today."

Seeing the door to the balcony open, he scolded, "Are you crazy for going outside in the cold? You just barely recovered from your childbirth fever!"

I pulled him out of bed and handed him his kilt, which he had carelessly tossed aside during our passion the night before. "Oh come, as you can see, I am no longer with child, and I am quite well, so I don't need your excessive coddling."

His expression changed. "I'm thankful to the gods for that. You know, if you don't feel up to it, you can have the High Priests and Priestesses perform the duties in your stead…"

"Nonsense," I replied tartly. "I shall uphold my duties. As I've said to you before, I'm over my grief, and the sooner I let things return to normal, the better."

"If you insist then," he hesitantly replied as he wrapped the robe about my shoulders and we made our way to the baths.

"You know," I said as I rubbed his shoulders with jasmine oil, "Aramen is with child once again."

"Really? That's wonderful! When is she due?"

"From what she told me, her child will come sometime in the middle of next shomu," I replied.

"She is proving to be a very fertile woman," he remarked casually.

"Indeed she is; I expect that before long they will have seven or eight little ones running underfoot."

"As shall we," my husband assured. "So, you still are bent on having no more than six children?" he teased.

"Yes," I said. "By the gods, it is such a heavy burden to bear! And the childbearing is so painful, not to mention dangerous. Do you really think you could bear to subject me to all of that for more than six times? I'm sure that by the fourth, you'll have tired of it already!"

"Oh, but I just can't get enough of you," he seductively replied, turning around and pulling me to him in a roughly passionate kiss.

"Do you know, while I was in my labor pains, I thought of cursing you for having to stick your shaft in me and of all the trouble that it ensued. But I decided to hold my tongue."

"I'm glad you did," he said, laughing. "Because I intend to do it again…"

"But not here!" I gasped, feeling him becoming hard already. "We are on a strict time schedule here!"

"What was that one saying you liked to use so much when I try to rush you? Ah, yes: 'A Queen is never late; everyone else is simply early'. And I think they will forgive you if they knew that you were trying to produce an heir for the kingdom."

"It is Atem's duty to provide the heirs, not mine. I'm simply holding his place for him until he becomes of age."

"On the contrary," Mahado replied, his voice husky with desire, "it is also your duty, for if anything were to happen to him, you would be next in line, and if he is unable to produce heirs, ours would be the ones to inherit." His hands started to move along the curves of my body, and my breaths became shallow.

"By Ra, I hate it when your desire comes at inconvenient times," I said, letting my hands wander down to below the water. "You are as greedy as a little child for my attention."

"Oh come, you know you like it as much as I do," he coaxed. His hands followed mine beneath the water, and I let out a loud moan as he touched the tenderest part of my body. Our moans seemed especially loud there in the baths, and I was sure that every servant heard us as we reached our pleasure.

We didn't have much time to bask in the pleasure though, for we heard a discreet cough and a knock. "Begging your pardon, but the Prince and the others are nearly ready, and they wish to inform you that they shall be ready to depart in half an hour." At that announcement from a servant, we immediately hopped out and rushed to find towels.

"That's hardly enough time to get ready!" I complained. "By Ra, why did you have to tempt me like that?"

"You know you enjoyed it," my husband said, smirking and pinching my backside. I swatted his hand away, but not before I let my lips curve into a sly smile to tell him that I had indeed.

* * *

One week into the new year, Mahado bolted upright with a start. I sleepily rubbed my eyes. "Mad? What's going on?" Around his neck, the Millennium Ring glowed intensely. "What is it?" I asked, immediately sensing that something was terribly wrong.

"Intruders." Without another word, he quickly pulled on his kilt. "Stay here!" he said to me. But I was already pulling on a robe, ignoring his command. "Guards! Ring the alarm; intruders have entered the palace!"

Already I could feel the chaos encroaching upon us. We could hear cries, and someone shouted, "In the main courtyard! The Thief King has come to kill us all!" I felt my blood run cold. _The Thief King, here? But why now?_

I didn't have any time to contemplate his motives. I quickly pulled on a leather armored vest and used my heka to summon my sword, bow, and quiver. "Mad!" I cried, summoning his armor and his sword, both of which came flying at him. He caught them swiftly. "These are no ordinary intruders! Find the other Guardians, and my brother! We'll need their help!" With that, we were both at a run.

I collided head-on into someone. Rubbing my head, I hastily said, "Begging your pardon- Karim!" I was glad that we had at least found someone. "Where's my brother?"

"That's what we're trying to find out," he said, falling in step with us as we ran. "He wasn't in his room!"

Suddenly we were beset by masked men, and we quickly engaged them with our swords. As I dodged and ducked, I noticed that Mahado was no longer with us. "Mad!" I cried out. But I was soon distracted by the man who was trying to kill me.

I cut down the man I was fighting, and then I wheeled around, finding myself frozen with shock as I faced another robber with his sword raised above my head. But before he could do anything, he crumpled into a lifeless heap at my feet. I was too bewildered to notice the blood splashing on my robe. "Thank you, Karim," I said shakily. "I owe you my life."

He grimly nodded. "Thank me when we both survive tonight." We then made our way towards the throne room.

"Not that way! This way!" I said over my shoulder as I rounded a corner, only to find that Karim hadn't heard me. I was now alone, and vulnerably so. Cursing myself, I picked my way along, mounting a flight of steps. I soon found myself in open air, and looking down on the Courtyard of Magicians, where we always practiced our battle magic. There was Mahado, engaged with three men at once. He was using his heka to help him fight, and then he glanced up and saw me. "Jani! Get back to our bedchamber, and stay there till this is over!" But then, one of the robbers broke through his barrier and sliced him in the side. My husband cried out in pain and fell to his knees, and another man raised his sword.

I quickly chanted a spell that froze all of the robbers that surrounded Mahado, and then nocked an arrow into my bow. It flew, and multiplied into three, all of them finding their marks in each robber's neck. I jumped, landing gracefully at my husband's side. "Mad! You're hurt…"

"Never mind that," he quickly said. "We have to find your brother, and the Thief King!" Grasping my hand, he took off at a run, pulling me behind him.

It wasn't hard for us to find them. We found the Thief King facing my brother, Shada, and Seto. "Well well well," the Thief King said malevolently, "looks like we have more company. The more the merrier for Death!"

Seto shouted to the guards, "We must protect the Queen and the Prince at all costs! Make sure that nobody touches them!"

"Your reign ends here, villan!" Shada snarled.

"So, the Living Horus still has yet to spread his wings, eh?" the Thief King said as he parried with Seto. "Well, I believe I have struck prematurely. It is the son I want, not the worthless daughter."

"Why don't we face off and see just how 'worthless' I really am?" I angrily challenged, activating my diadiankh.

"Oh believe me, you all will die in time," he said. "Just not yet; and I wouldn't be in such a rush to suffer your fate if I were you, Your Majesty. The crime has already been done, and all that is left to do is to exact my revenge and collect the price that is due. But not tonight." He gave a high whistle at that, and an armored horse came running, along with his other minions that were still alive. "We will be taking our leave now; good night and sleep well, while you still can."

"You won't be getting away!" Atem shouted. At that, he attacked one of the minions who was mounting. But the minion had the upper hand, and slashed his sword, cutting deep into Atem's arm. He howled in pain. Seto, likewise, had suffered a cut to his chest.

"Until the next time, Your Majesty! Until then, remember that I, the Thief King Bakura, have a score to settle with the children of the evil king Akhenamkhanen!" He chanted a spell, and a dark cloud enveloped us. I couldn't see two steps in front of me, and the thundering hoofbeats told me that they were making their escape.

"Guards! Stop them!" I screamed. But I knew that such a command was useless, for the guards could see no more than we could, and they dare not strike out of fear of hitting one of us.

By the time we had gotten rid of the dark cloud with our heka, the courtyard was completely clear, leaving us and the other guards bewildered. More came running. "My Queen, we have sent scouts after them into the city, but it looks like they have escaped. I'm sorry."

"No matter," I said with a sigh. "In the meantime, let's get the wounded to the medical wing, and see to it that the dead are prepared for burial; they shall be given heroes' funerals, all of them."

Putting an arm around Mahado's waist, I helped him hobble to the medical wing. Seto and Atem followed me. Isis was already there, preparing bandages and attending to Karim, who had taken a deep wound to his side, much like Mahado had. She was scolding him, "This is the second brush with death you've had! If the sword had come at you from a different angle, you would have bled to death!"

I helped Mahado into a chair and began cleaning his wound. He winced as the water stung. "I told you… to stay inside and away from the battle!" he scolded, taking on the same tone that Isis did.

"You only told me to get back to the bedchamber, and that is not exactly the way to thank your wife for saving your life," I replied frostily, putting extra pressure as I bandaged his wound and not exactly feeling sorry as he winced in pain.

Lady Aseneit came in, dressed in her nightgown, and began seeing to Atem. After she had quickly bandaged his arm, she turned to Seto. "I do not need to be attended to, Lady Aseneit," he said. "The cut is nothing."

She made a _tut-tut_ sound with her tongue. "I have seen other fine young men like you make light of such wounds and then fall dead two days later. It can become infected, and it is best if it is bandaged and cleaned like any other serious wound." Seto frowned, but after a stern glance from both Lady Aseneit and me he complied.

"Mahado! Why did you not detect the intruders earlier and sound the alarm? We could have had a better handle on the situation if you had given us more warning!" he yelled angrily.

"I sounded the alarm as soon as the Millennium Ring informed me, Seto," Mahado replied steadily. "Forgive me if it seemed a bit late, but I was sound asleep, as were we all, if I can recall correctly."

"If it wasn't for Mahado and the guards, you would have been cut down in your own bed!" I snapped at Seto. "You would do well to be grateful, Seto!"

He looked taken aback at my anger. "Forgive me, Jasana, for lashing out at your beloved," he said, a mere hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Before I could retort, Atem placed himself in between the two of us. "Now, this is not the time for arguments. We have a great threat to fight, and we need to come together, not fight amongst ourselves."

I sighed. "You are right, Brother. Come, let's try to get some more sleep; we will survey the damage and come up with a strategy on what to do now in the morning." With that, Mahado and I made our way back to bed. But neither of us could fall back asleep for some time, and so we whispered to each other about what had happened, managing to fall asleep only as the first few of Ra's golden rays peaked out into the world.

* * *

"By Aset! You're lucky that you survived the battle!" Aramen cried when I told her the next morning. She mixed a soothing salve for the bruises along my fighting arm, and I gratefully took it and applied it to my multiple bruises.

"I told her to stay away from the battle, but she wouldn't listen," Mahado said, shaking his head. "I should have known that she would want her piece of the battle."

"And I saved your life, if I remember correctly," I saucily replied.

"So you did," he said, pulling me into a kiss that dissipated my anger. "My beloved Warrior Queen and savior, how shall I appease you?"

"That did the trick," I replied, smirking. I rose to my feet. "Thank you for your help, Aramen, but Mahado and I must now meet with the other Guardians and decide what to do."

With that, we made our way to the Throne Room. I could tell from the suppressed yawns that the other Guardians and Atem fared no better than Mahado and I did.

After I had seated myself, Shada stepped forward. "My Queen… I'm afraid I have some terrible news."

"What can possibly be worse than the fact that the Thief King was here and that he got away without a scratch?" I asked irritably. "Please don't tell me that he's made off with the fortune of the kingdom."

"The Treasury was left intact; the spells and the fortifications held well," Shimon replied.

"But unfortunately… the defenses around the Millennium Spell-book of Thoth didn't," Shada said grimly. "The Spell-book has been stolen." There was a collective gasp among the other Guardians.

"How could this have happened?" Akhnadin demanded. "The best protective spells were put on it! And it was well-hidden in the library! Do you know what this means? If it falls into the wrong hands, it could spell doom for not only Egypt, but the entire world! It must be recovered immediately!"

"I do not know, but I don't think the Thief King was after it," Shada replied. "Thieves such as him and his minions are not literate, and they do not harbor the ability to decipher the spells. My guess is that someone took advantage of this diversion to steal the Spell-book."

"But that means that somebody knew of the attack, and whoever it was, they were working on the inside. Only the _hekaus_ and the librarians know of the Spell-book's hiding place," I said. "I command an inquiry to be conducted among them at once! Find out who the traitor is!"

"But there is more," Shada held out a finely wrought leather belt. "The thief left this in his wake; it is embellished with Nubian designs. I'm betting that it was a Nubian who stole the book."

"A Nubian?" I asked incredulously. "But it would have taken him days to travel this far! And what would he want with the Spell-book? Could he be working in tandem with the Thief King?"

"I don't know," Shada replied, scratching his head. "It is highly unlikely, I don't think the Thief King is so well-known as to have connections in our vassal kingdom of Nubia, but if the Nubians have their hands on it, it is not good at all."

Atem angrily stepped forward. "Well, what are we waiting for? Gather the swiftest, strongest soldiers, and prepare to bring back the Book!"

"Let's not be hasty here, my Prince," Shimon admonished. "We must keep relations with the Nubians friendly; the majority of the gold in our coffers come from Nubian mines, and we rely on trade with them for salt and other precious goods. We mustn't act rashly."

"They don't seem to want to be too friendly to us," Atem retorted. "They've stolen the Spell-book! I think that sends a message quite clearly! Don't you agree, Seto?"

"Indeed I do," Seto replied. _Trust Atem to turn to the one who always wants a fight, _I thought wryly. "I am entirely in support of your idea, but we must come up with a brilliant strategy first."

"But strategizing takes time! Time we do not have! The prosperity of the Two Lands relies on that Spell-book!" Atem argued.

"Calm down, my Prince," Akhnadin said. "It actually might not have been a Nubian for all we know; perhaps the culprit wanted us to blame the Nubians, and that is why they precisely chose to leave behind a Nubian belt."

I could see the logic in Akhnadin's words, and I felt my head spinning. The lack of sleep was already working its toll on me. "By the gods, this is getting to be entirely too complicated," I murmured.

"Yes," Isis said. "My Necklace has refused to show me the face of the thief, as well as the traitor. Whoever stole the Book wields considerable power; their heka is powerful enough to evade the power of the Millennium Items."

"Who can it possibly be?" I asked myself.

"Well, I'm not about to stand around here while we take turns guessing," Atem said irritably. "Sister, I request permission to lead an army to Nubia."

"I think we had best wait until our spies come back with a report on them," I replied.

"Very good, and very sensible, my Queen," Shimon praised.

"What? Egyptian lives are at stake here, Jani!" Atem protested. "You really aren't going to stand by passively while Egypt withers are you?"

"No," I replied testily, "but likewise I don't want to be too rash and point my finger at Nubia without some solid proof, Atem. A wise ruler never acts rashly, as Father said."

At the allusion to Father, Atem sighed. "Very well." Then, without another word, he stalked out of the room.

I thought about going after him, but Shimon stayed me. "Let him brood, my Queen. He is young and hot-blooded, but in time he will see the reason behind your judgment."

"In the meantime, send for the High Priestess of Aset and the Priest of Thoth. I must speak with them in order to find out what the loss of the Spell-book portends for us all," I ordered. "In the meantime, try to get some more rest; last night took its toll on all of us, and I'm afraid it will only get worse before it can get better."

* * *

I fidgeted in the throne, waiting for the priests to come. Already I could feel the air simmering with an unknown force, something that should not have been there. I couldn't tell if it was merely my own fear and imagination, or if I was truly feeling the kingdom starting to crumble at the absence of the Millennium Spell-book.

The usher showed in the High Priestess of Aset and the High Priest of Thoth, both of whom bowed deeply. I addressed the High Priest of Thoth first.

"As you know, Thoth's Book has been stolen."

"So it has, my lady Queen," he replied. "And that is the worst news, even more so than war. For without the Book, the land itself will perish, and so will the Egyptians. That Book is more than a mere spell-book; the thrice-great Thoth himself sealed a part of his soul into that book. He gave his mortal life to put all of his heka into that book, thus joining the gods in the Hall of Amenti. That Book contains the spells necessary to sustain life in the Two Lands."

I shivered. "So what can be done until we recover it? There must be some way to sustain the land in its stead!"

"There is, but it's a costly sacrifice," the High Priestess of Aset answered.

"I'll be willing to pay any price!" I said vehemently.

"Very well. Aset can keep the land alive, but only through the Living Aset, through her blood and heka. You must pay a small portion of your blood at each sunset, and a portion of your heka every three days. This will counter the effect of the absence of the Book, but only until it is recovered."

"But the Queen Regent cannot give blood and heka forever!" Mahado cried. "This will slowly drain her of her ba, robbing her of her life!"

"If the Book cannot be recovered, then it certainly will," the High Priest of Thoth said. "The thrice-great Thoth gave his life for Egypt, and so in the absence of the Book, another life must be given in turn, a divine life. But if this sacrifice is done, then Egypt shall be able to survive without the Book."

Atem stepped forward. "I shall recover the Book, I assure you! But how long do I have?"

"If the Queen Regent's power is what they say it is, you have about three months," the High Priestess answered.

"Then there's not a moment to spare. We simply cannot wait for the spies, Jani! Your own life is ticking away! Please, let me go!"

Before I could answer, a servant entered with a scroll in his hand. "My Lady Queen, forgive the intrusion, but we have just received a message by messenger hawk from our spies in Nubia! The Nubians are plotting rebellion!"

I inwardly groaned, knowing that the news must have been urgent indeed if the spies had to use a messenger hawk to send their news- they only did so if the swiftest horse was not fast enough to carry the message.

"So that proves it," Seto said. "They have the Millennium Spell-book; how else would they be daring enough to challenge us?"

"Seto and the Prince are right, my Queen," Karim added. "There is not a moment to spare. Messages must be sent out calling our men to arms, and then we must be on our way south."

I sighed; I could see that there was no other way to appease Atem, and no other way to recover the Book. "Very well, but please, if it is in your power, spare as many lives as possible." I turned to the High Priestess. "When did you say that the blood sacrifice must be made?"

"At sunset, my Queen," she replied. "And as long as you are making the sacrifice, I'm afraid that you must remain within the Temple of Aset; it is the only way the sacrifice will be effective."

"So she must be a virtual prisoner of the temple?" Mahado demanded.

The High Priestess spread her hands. "I'm afraid it must be that way, my Lord."

Putting on a brave face, I stood up, hoping that nobody could see my trembling. "Very well. I will do it for the sake of the kingdom."

"But, Jani…" Mahado started.

"There is no other way, Mad," I said, my voice shaky. "I have to."

"But there must be somebody else who can perform the blood sacrifice!" he insisted.

"I'm afraid there is not," the High Priestess replied. "Only the blood of the Living Aset will be accepted. Otherwise I would have gladly performed the sacrifice on the Queen Regent's behalf."

I beckoned a servant closer. "See to it that my belongings are prepared to be moved to the Temple of Aset." The servant bowed and left. "I believe that this meeting is over, and you are all dismissed; much will need to be done. Who of the Guardians is going to Nubia?"

Seto stepped forward. "I will."

Shada answered, "As shall I."

Karim also said, "I will too!"

"You can't!" Isis protested. "Your wounds are still healing!"

"But they are not serious or life-threatening; I will be fine. And my duty is first and foremost to the Prince and the Queen Regent," Karim replied gently. Isis opened her mouth to retort, but closed it upon seeing the determination in his face. There would be no swaying him.

Atem nodded. Mahado made to speak, but Shimon said, "Mahado, you should stay here. Without the protection of the Millennium Spell-book, the palace is now extremely vulnerable. We need you to use your powerful heka to protect the palace and the kingdom."

"Yes, we need you here to protect my sister and everyone else," Atem agreed.

"Then I shall gladly do so, my Prince," Mahado replied, kneeling with his hand over his heart.

I rose, placing a hand on my brother's shoulder. "Then come, I don't think there's a moment to spare. If you will excuse me, I need to see that my belongings are properly packed."

Mahado followed me to our bedchamber. In a small chest I saw that a maid had packed my clothes, another held my cosmetics, and yet another held my jewelry. I laid the jewelry one aside. "I don't think I'll need to adorn myself much in the Temple of Aset," I said in an attempt to joke.

My husband only walked forlornly out to the balcony. I tried to busy myself with packing my mother's scrolls and a few frozen images to take with me to make my room at the temple homier. Finally, when I couldn't do anything else, I joined my husband on the balcony and wrapped my arms around him, laying my head on his shoulder. He looked away, and I could see that he was trying not to let the tears spill from his eyes.

"My love…" I softly said, turning him around and laying my head over his heart. "You'll be able to visit me in the temple, you know."

"But aren't you afraid that this is the last time you'll ever step foot in this room?" he asked shakily as he held me tight. "That is my worst fear; I don't want to lose you like this! What if the Prince and the others don't make it back? The land will claim you!"

"Yes, I'm afraid," I admitted. "But I have no choice, and I must have faith that Aset will watch over us all. If it is my life that she demands, then I will willingly give it for the land; it is my duty as the Queen Regent." I kissed him, and he responded with equal desperation and passion. "We all must lay down our lives one day, Mad, and the only thing we can do is to make the most of the time that we have left."

He sighed and tried to smile. "You are absolutely right, Jani." He bent down to pick up Senupi, and handed him to me. "You should at least have Senupi to keep you company at night; he's been there for you when I couldn't be."

I took Senupi into my arms and briefly cuddled him before handing him back to my husband. "Now it's your turn to be comforted by him," I said. He smiled and laid him back down on the bed.

Mahado helped the servants carry one of my chests down to the barge, and the other Guardians and Atem were already on board. We mostly rode in silence towards the temple complex of the city; even Karim was in a somber mood. Mahado remained by my side as I stood at the prow, bravely facing my prison.

Atem approached us. "I vow that I will recover the Millennium Spell-book and save you, Sister."

I enfolded him in my arms. "May the gods watch over you as you do, Brother, and for Ra's sake, be careful out there! I worry that you'll be injured or captured by the Nubians…"

He chuckled lightly. "They'll have to get through everyone else first!"

"That's true," I conceded, stepping down from the barge. I gazed up at the façade of the temple. Although it usually looked benevolent and welcoming, now it looked foreboding, since it was where I would reside until the Millennium Spell-book was recovered. For a moment my resolve wavered, and I was tempted to turn around and run as far away from the temple as I could. But instead I gulped, and grasped Mahado's hand for support as we stepped inside.

The servants quickly made their way to my temporary chamber with my belongings, and the High Priestess led me to the altar. "It is time, my Queen," she said, handing me a silver knife and a golden bowl.

I lit incense to Aset, chanting her praises. Then I pressed the knife into my palm, and as the bowl filled with my blood I chanted, "Blood of my blood, I hereby release thee so that thou shalt sustain the land. Great Mother, accept my humble sacrifice and renew the Two Lands." I stepped back, dizzy from the effort, and Mahado gently supported me.

The High Priestess nodded. "Now, give up a portion of your heka."

I placed my hands on the altar and prayed, "Great Mother, Mistress of Magic, I humbly offer the force of my ba, my heka, to the Two Lands. Take it and use it to keep the land alive." I groaned in pain as my heka left my body, and then I collapsed into my husband's arms.

Atem paled. "I must recover the Book, and quickly," he murmured to himself.

The others were already preparing to leave. "If I don't see you before you depart for Nubia, may the gods watch over you all," I said as I hugged Atem, Karim, and Shada, and extended my hand to Seto.

"We will be back soon," Seto promised. "And we will most certainly seek your blessing before we leave."

"I… I think I'll stay here with her for a little while," Mahado said. Atem nodded, and the others left, leaving the two of us alone.

We ate together, talking all the while, until the High Priestess said, "I'm afraid it is time for you to go, my Lord. I'm afraid that while she is giving her blood and heka to the Two Lands, you mustn't lie with her."

He nodded solemnly. "I understand." He kissed me deeply and lovingly. "I shall return tomorrow," he vowed.

I reveled in the warmth of his arms. "I shall look forward to that. Take care of Senupi and Nephthys for me, and stay strong. We shall get through this."

"From your mouth to Aset's ears," he whispered, giving me one last squeeze before he left.

* * *

Three days later, Atem and the army were ready to leave. They assembled in the temple courtyard, and I held my hand and gave them my blessing, watching as they galloped out of the courtyard, their cries ringing in my ears.

Isis stood beside me, her face pale. I grasped her hand. "I'm sure that Karim will be fine," I told her.

"I hope so," she whispered. "How are you adjusting to life here at the temple?"

I chuckled. "I think I'll get used to the life of an acolyte, in time." I had taken to the training of a priestess, since I had nothing else to do. "All in all, it's not so bad, since you are here to visit, and there are many duties to be performed here in the temple."

"Even so, I can't wait until you are in my bed again," Mahado said, winding an arm around my waist.

We spent the afternoon together, and as the sun set, I grew heavy with dread at the sacrifice I had to make. "It is time," the High Priestess announced. This time, as I gave up my heka, I felt more of my life force draining away from me, and I gave out a little cry.

"Jani!" Mahado cried out, catching me as I crumpled to the ground and held me to his chest. "By Thoth," he said to the priestess, "are you sure that she can hold out for so long? At this rate, she'll be dead by the end of the month!"

"Rest assured, my Lord, she has enough energy to live for at least another four months, if not longer. I'm sure that the goddess will keep her alive to sustain the land."

"But if she doesn't and lets my wife die?" Mahado demanded angrily.

The priestess held up her hands. "It is entirely up to the Great Mother."

"And there is nothing I can do, is there?" he asked, his shoulders slumping.

"No, except to guard the palace and pray that the Prince returns with the Book, and soon."

I tried to still the fear growing in my belly. What if Mahado was right? What if I couldn't last the entire four months? What if time ran out before Atem could get the Book back?

* * *

**Hehehe, I wasn't originally planning this new twist, but it just came to me, and I thought it would be a good idea. As always, thanks for reading! Please leave a review too!**


	48. The Quest

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh**

* * *

_Atem is riding on Sobek, tall and proud in his armor. "Men, remember today why you fight! Fight for your loved ones! Fight for your country!" With cries they all raised their swords, and charged towards the Nubians, who were waiting in a line for them. The archers have their bows at the ready, and I want to scream out a warning, not wanting to watch as the carnage begins…_

"No! Atem!" I cried, stirring weakly.

Mahado was immediately at my side, accompanied by Isis. He propped me up and tried to spoon some broth into my mouth, but I wouldn't take it; I was too distraught. "Please, Jani, at least try to take a little bit; you are getting weaker and weaker!" he pleaded.

I turned towards Isis. "I saw my brother fighting in a vision! The Nubians were waiting for them with arrows… what can you see?"

"Unfortunately, my Necklace will no longer work, "she said sadly. "None of the Items can work without the Millennium Spell-book."

Mahado soothingly stroked my cheek. "Calm yourself, my love. It's no use fretting over things that you can't control. Instead, you must preserve your energy and make it last as long as it possibly can. You are doing very well so far." A little over a month had passed, but already I was so weak that I could barely move about. I looked into his face, which was creased with worry.

The High Priestess approached with the knife and the bowl. She didn't need to speak to tell me that it was once again time for the blood sacrifice. My hands were shaking violently, but I managed to slit my palm once again and let the blood flow into the bowl. I heard Mahado suppress a small cry, and I tried to smile at him reassuringly.

"Your heka as well, my Queen," the Priestess reminded me.

"It's been three days already?" Mahado asked dubiously. "It can't be!"

"I'm afraid it is, my Lord. You have only lost track of the time because you have spent nearly every waking minute in here."

I turned to Mahado. "But surely there are duties for you to attend to at the palace?"

"With the Prince, Seto, Shada, and Karim gone, there is no point in the remaining Guardians meeting," he explained. "Semni has taken over my teaching duties, understanding my need to be here by your side."

I reached out a shaking hand to cup his cheek. "This won't do, my love. You must carry on as if everything is normal. What do the students think of you, spending all day sitting here by my side as if I was dying? I want you to carry on, Mad, please, do it for me."

"But you are dying, Jani!" he cried in anguish. "You're fading away before my very eyes, and there's nothing I can do… I can only just sit here and watch like a statue!"

I wrapped him in my arms. "There, there, as you can see, I am very much alive; I'm only weakened is all, but it is only temporary. And I don't want to spend my time in here knowing that you are tearing yourself apart with worry for me. Please, Mad, call upon your strength to see you through. Be strong for us, for me. Can you do that?"

"I'll… I'll try, for you, my love," he said finally, burying his face into my hair.

"Good, that is the best that you can do for me," I said softly.

He laid a hand on my heart. "If only…"

I knew what he was thinking. "Don't," I said sternly. "The palace needs the protection of your heka, Mad. Do not waste it on me; devote it to guarding the palace."

"It would hardly be wasted on you, Jani," he argued.

"I am doing quite well on my own heka," I countered. "But we need you to guard the palace with your power. Siphoning some off for my sake might weaken the defenses, and our other enemies might see this as a ripe time to attack. Who's safeguarding the throne while I'm here and Atem is at war?"

"Akhnadin and Shimon are taking care of the kingdom's affairs," Isis assured me. "You need not worry."

I couldn't help but worry that Akhnadin would seize the throne, but I had no choice but to trust that Shimon would be there to check any mutinous intentions. I had enough on my hands as it is. Suddenly, a sharp pain gripped my heart, and I gasped.

"Jani!" Mahado cried, holding me against him.

"Please, don't grip so hard, my love," I whispered. He loosened his grip, but I could see his eyes welling. I tenderly held his face between my hands. "Mad… when I become too weak to do so, promise me that you will make the blood sacrifice on my behalf."

"How can you ask such a thing of me? I can't do it! I can't sacrifice your precious blood; I would have a hand in killing you slowly!"

"Please… you must…" I was now struggling to speak. With all my will I commanded my tongue to say the words that I wanted. "You have to help me with this, I can't do this alone… promise me, Mad." Now I became more insistent. "If I become too weak to lift the knife and chant the spell to donate my heka, you must do it for me; I would trust on one else but you, beloved."

"Why?" Mahado asked, bending his head so that I couldn't see the tears spilling from his eyes. I gently wiped them away.

"Because only another magician can transfer a person's heka," Isis answered. "You wanted to help, Mahado, and now your wife is offering you a way to do so."

"But I would only be helping her die!"

"No, you would be helping me preserve our country," I replied. "Please, Mad… do this for me."

He bit on his lower lip. "I will, Jani."

I sighed. "Good. I will trust Isis to hold you to that promise."

"She may very well have to force me to do so, for I can't bear to be the instrument of your death!" At this, Mahado laid his head on my chest, shaking with sobs that he refused to release.

Isis gently stroked his shoulder as I cradled his head. "I know that this is hard for you, Mahado, to sit here helplessly as Jasana fades away, but this is the best that you can do, and pray that the Spell-book will be recovered soon."

"I have been praying night and day," he replied desperately. "I have promised Thoth anything if he would just preserve Jani's life, but it seems that he has abandoned me."

"That is not true, my love," I said soothingly. "He is merely testing you, just as Aset is testing me, and we both shall prove victorious, you'll see."

He looked at me sorrowfully. "Now you seem to be the one with the unshakeable faith, my love."

"You helped to bolster that faith, and now it is my turn to keep it kindled within you," I replied. "I am as sure of this as I am of my brother's victory. But that still doesn't mean that I am anxious for him. The battle is playing out as we speak!"

Isis bowed her head. "We had better pray for them then," she said grimly.

* * *

_Atem is huddled in his tent, a heavy cloak wrapped around his shoulders. He is scribbling something away on papyrus, and I can see that it is a letter to Mana. There is another letter finished waiting to be sealed and delivered, and I can see that it is to me. _

_Seto, Karim, and Shada enter the tent. "Why are you still awake, my Prince? You must get your rest if you are to ride in the battle that continues tomorrow."_

"_Just let me finish this letter," Atem requests. "I want these delivered to my sister and to Mana, in case…" He cannot bring himself to finish his sentence. _

_Karim gently lays his hand on his shoulder. "You mustn't talk like that, my Prince. The gods are watching over us, and they will surely award the victory to us. But negative thinking will not help us at all. _

"_Karim is right," Seto says. "We must focus on securing our victory and recovering the Spell-book. That is the only way that we can save Egypt and Jasana."_

_Atem glances at him anxiously. "Is there any news of her?"_

"_Isis says that she is holding up well," Karim answers. "There is no use worrying about her; she is strong and will hold out well. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she outlasts the four months that the High Priestess of Aset forecast for her."_

"_Nevertheless, it is imperative that we recover the Book as quickly as possible," Shada reminds them. "The more time passes, the more time the Nubians have to decipher the spells of the book. Even if we defeat them, it would be useless if they manage to decode it."_

"_But none of us Egyptians have managed to decipher those spells," Seto says. "How can the Nubians, who lack our learning, manage such a thing where we cannot?"_

"_I don't know, but I don't want to take chances," Shada answers firmly. "Now come, let's call it a night. There's no use fighting amongst ourselves when we are to fight for our country tomorrow."_

"_You are right," Atem says, dripping wax onto the letter to seal it and pressing his ring into it. He hands both letters to Karim. "Please see these delivered as soon as possible."_

"_But of course, my Prince," Karim says, taking the letters. "I shall send them out on the morrow with my own letter to Isis. But now you must rest." _

"_Very well," Atem concedes. "Good night, gentlemen."_

"_Good night, my Prince," the three of them say in unison before taking their leave. _

_As Atem settles into bed, he grasps the protective amulet of the Eye of Horus that I had given him. "Horus, please grant me the victory that I need to save my sister!" he fervently prays. "And Aset, please grant my sister the strength to hold out long enough for me to get the Book back." As he blows out the lamp, he finishes, "Jani, I promise you, I will get the Millenium Spell-book back and save you!"_

* * *

"Ka of my heart, Love of my soul, Most beloved of my life, Thy love is more precious than Gold…" I heard Mahado's voice recite. "Well, what do you think?"

"A bit formal," Isis replied. "But I'm no poet; it would have been better if Karim were here to help you."

"What's this?" I asked sleepily.

Mahado looked down at me. "I've been passing the time by attempting to compose a poem for you."

"Is that so?" I laughed weakly. "Very well, let's hear what you have so far then."

Mahado cleared his throat, and began to read,

"Ka of my heart,  
Love of my soul,  
Most beloved of my life,  
Thy love is more precious than Gold.

Just one kiss  
Is enough to sustain me  
For all of my days,  
One glance from thine eyes  
Is brighter than Ra's rays

One night in your arms  
Is like Amenti present  
In the House of Geb…

And that is all I have so far," he finished. "I'm afraid I'm at a loss as to how to finish it."

"That is certainly very good considering that you wrote it without Karim's help," I praised.

He grinned. "I think I'm beginning to slowly get the hang of composing poems; it is definitely an improvement over that poem I wrote for our wedding." He held out a duck's egg, and tore off a tiny chunk and fed it to me. "Try to eat, Jani. Your body is wasting away as quickly as your heka!"

I weakly chewed the small chunk that he offered me, and he gave me another. "What time is it?"

"It is mid-afternoon," Isis answered.

"By Ra, it seems that my sleeping pattern has been completely thrown off, I replied.

"Because your body is being robbed of its heka, you have been drifting in and out of consciousness," Mahado explained as he fed me another chunk of egg.

"But when I'm sleeping, it seems that I am able to see what Atem is up to; it's as if my spirit flies out of my body and to wherever he is."

"And what did you see?" Isis asked.

"I saw that he was writing a letter to Mana, and he had already finished one to me. Seto, Karim, and Shada were trying to urge him to rest. Apparently the battle hadn't been decided yet and will continue today. Karim promised to deliver his letters, along with one to you."

"It seems that these visions of yours will be our only means to see how they are doing, now that my Necklace is no longer working," she said ruefully. "But it will be good to receive news from the front."

"Can't you do water-scrying?" I asked.

"Yes, but I've been using my heka to fortify the palace's defenses, along with Mahado," she answered. "The other _hekaus_ have been joining in the effort as well. It's only a matter of time before the Persians and Ra only knows who else to receive the news that Atem is occupied with fighting the Nubians and that the Book has been stolen for them to advance on our kingdom. And if they find out that you are here in the Temple, it will make things worse.

"Doesn't anybody know that I'm here?"

"We tried to keep that fact hidden for as long as possible, but then gossip began to circulate throughout the court, and now the news has trickled out of the palace to the city. The people are anxious, and they are wondering whether or not to plant their crops, for they have also learned that the Millennium Spell-book has been stolen, the source of the magic that has been sustaining life in our kingdom."

"I must appear before them!" I cried. "I must assure them that all is well!"

"You are in no condition to do so, Jani! You can barely even sit up, let alone stand!" Mahado protested.

I sighed; I knew that he was right. "Fine, but will you tell Shimon and Akhnadin that they must do whatever they can to assure the people that all will be well?"

Isis nodded. "I shall. In fact, I will go now." With that, she left the temple.

Mahado leaned over me. "How are you feeling, my love?" he asked, cupping my cheek with one hand.

I turned my head and kissed his palm. "Very weak, I'm afraid. But I'm craving some fresh air."

He gently picked me up and carried me to the balcony. A cool breeze caressed my face the moment he stepped outside. I inhaled deeply, glad to be away from the dark temple and the constant scent of incense. "How refreshing!" I exclaimed, leaning my head against my husband's shoulder.

"Happy twenty-first Naming Day, Jani," he whispered.

"Dear Aset, are we twenty-one already?" I asked in shock. "We are getting old…"

He managed to chuckle, and the sound was pure music to my ears. "We are not so old just yet; we still have plenty of years ahead of us, my love."

I indicated towards a bench, and he set me down on it, supporting me in his arms. "Tell me what has been going on at the palace."

"What is there to tell?"

"Everything! Tell me about your students, how Mana is progressing, and about how Aramen is doing, being with child."

"Well, the other students by now have grudgingly accepted that Mana is my apprentice, and the other girls have been kinder in their treatment towards her. The boys remain indifferent. Kamen remains as cocky as always, though somewhat subdued if I ever bring you up. And Aramen is handling her pregnancy very well; she and Semni are hoping for a boy this time."

"That is good; may Aset and Hathor grant her wish," I replied. "And are Senupi and Nephthys faring well in my absence?"

"Your horse seems very perplexed when it's me she sees approaching with a halter in my hand, although she has let me ride her, and me only. She won't let any of the grooms come near, and the Master of the Horse is having difficulty with her. Senupi has finally quit whining at night, and he has usurped your pillow instead of mine. I warrant that you shall have to fight him to get it back."

I giggled. "Well, I'm sure that he'll listen to me; I am Queen Regent after all. Surely you're enjoying him taking my pillow instead of yours."

"Well… it's a nice respite," he admitted. "But his company is hardly a substitute for yours."

I smiled up at him, relieved to see him smiling back at me for once. "I can't wait until this ordeal is over and I can sleep in your arms again."

"Neither can I, and we shall spend every night for a week trying again for a child," he replied as he cupped my breast and leaned over to kiss me. I felt my body ignite with a burning desire to have him on top of me and inside of me, and I quivered under the heated passion of his kisses, kissing him back with equal fervor. He gasped as my hand slipped beneath his kilt to grasp his hardness, and he moaned as I began to move my hand up and down his length.

He put his hands on mine to stop me. "We're in a temple, Jani!" he groaned.

"Aset wouldn't mind," I whispered.

Just then, we heard a cough behind us, and we whirled around. "My Queen, it is time," the High Priestess of Aset said. Mahado lifted me up in his arms and carried me towards the altar.

I lifted the knife, but my hand was shaking so bad that Mahado gently laid his hand over mine and said, "I'll do it." For a moment his hand wavered, but he closed his eyes, and the knife slit my palm. He chanted the spell, and then carried me back to my room. "At least you didn't need to give up your heka today," he said, somewhat relieved as he laid me down.

"Yes," I replied, managing a small smile. "Now, perhaps if I can fall back asleep, I can see whether or not my brother was victorious."

"I'm beginning to think that you lose consciousness on purpose so that you can have these visions," Mahado teased, "leaving me to spend hours waiting by your side for you to wake up."

"On the contrary, I can't just lose consciousness on purpose and have my ka leave my body," I rejoined. "But I can induce sleep if I so choose."

"And I can help with that," he said as he produced a packet of chamomile and poppy, which he put into a cup of wine. "The more you sleep, the less energy you use, thus prolonging your life in any case," he added. He soothingly rubbed the back of his hand against my cheek, and I fell asleep under his touch.

_Atem, Seto, Karim, and Shada are leading their soldiers towards the capital city of Nubia. "This is it, Jani," Atem mutters under his breath. "I'm not leaving until I have the Millennium Spell-book safe in my hands."_

_"We may be invited to dine at the king's palace as his guests, but we must be on our guard," Seto warns. "Trust no one, and be sure to perform the spell that will get rid of any hint of poison in your food."_

_"Yes, yes, I know," Atem says impatiently. _

_They meet the guards at the city gates. "The king has said that you and your closest commanders are welcome as his guests at the palace, but the others must remain camped outside," the head guard commands. _

_"Very well," Atem concedes with a sigh. He turns towards his general. "General, tell the men that they must remain camped out here for the night. But you are free to come with us if you wish. It is with your help that I won the battle."_

_The general bows. "I believe I shall remain with my men, my Prince, if you will permit it." Atem nods, and the general rides back towards his men while he and the three Guardians press forward. _

_As they ride through the streets, there are fearful whispers among the townspeople, and many children scurry away to the shelter of their homes. Atem doesn't stop to notice them, grimly setting his sight on the looming palace ahead. On the steps stands the Nubian king, and at his side is an exquisitely beautiful woman with pale skin, auburn hair, and blue eyes. _

_The king extends his arms in welcome. "On behalf of the kingdom of Nubia, the loyal vassal of Egypt, I, King Jethiro, and my daughter, the Princess Teana, welcome you, Prince Atem, and your advisors." Upon laying eyes on my brother, Teana's cheeks turn a slight pink. She is smitten with him already, I can tell. _

_"We thank you for your hospitality, King Jethiro," Atem says. Seto, Karim, and Shada make their obeisance, but not before Seto throws a bold and suspicious glare at the king._

_"Come, servants shall see you to your rooms, and you shall be able to refresh yourselves before the grand feast tonight." _

_The servants come and lead Atem and the others to their rooms, which are just adjacent to each other. "Please surrender your weapons; these are the king's orders," the head servant said. _

_"What sort of a command is that?" Seto asks imperially. "We need our weapons to defend ourselves." _

_"There is no threat within the palace walls, my Lord," the servant replies. "You are quite safe here." _

_Atem surrenders his sword, and then looks sternly at Seto. With a sigh, Seto does the same, as do Karim and Shada. They are each shown to their separate rooms. Atem goes to a basin filled with water and washes his face. With a sigh he drops his bloodstained kilt and changes it for a fresh one. He curiously inspects the woven design as he puts it on. A servant comes to assist him, but he waves him away. _

_He hears a knock, and says, "Enter." Karim, Shada, and Seto come in. _

_"You must be on your guard," Seto says, "and be sure not to drink too much wine; you must keep your wits about you if anything were to happen." _

_"I'm sure the king means well, Seto," Atem replies. "We are holding his best generals as prisoners; he is in a rather precarious position at the moment. I don't think he would dare do us any harm."_

_"Nevertheless, I agree with Seto; we must be cautious," Karim says tersely. _

_Suddenly they hear footsteps, and Teana sweeps into the room, clad in a flattering dress of purple silk. "I am come to personally escort you men to the banquet hall for the feast." She is addressing all of them, but her eyes are on Atem. Boldly she puts her arm in his, and he blushes. _

_"We will be happy to follow you, Your Highness," Karim says, flashing a grin. _

_"Follow me, and you shall have the best time you have had in a while, I warrant," she says, smiling. _

_They follow her into a banquet hall alive with music and laughter. Atem is seated next to the king as his guest of honor, and I see a shadow of disappointment flicker across Teana's eye as she takes a seat on her father's other side. Karim, Shada, and Seto are seated next to Atem. The king claps a hand on Atem's back and says, "Eat, drink, and be merry! The food that sits on your plate also sits on mine, so you can be sure that there is no poison." _

_Seto murmurs a spell over his. "Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I've learned that one can never be too cautious." _

_The king raises an eyebrow, and then shrugs. "Suit yourself. You are indeed a wise man, Lord Seto. May I ask what your role in the Court of the Two Lands is?"_

_"I am one of the Sacred Guardians of the Pharaoh, and the Holder of the Millennium Rod. My comrades, Karim and Shada, are also Guardians and the Holders of the Millennium Scales and the Millennium Key, respectively. As you can see, the Horus Ascendant wields the Millennium Pendant, passed down from his father, the late King Akhenamkhanen."_

_King Jethiro's eyes light up with interest. "I see, and what is the power of these Millennium Items? I warrant that these are not the only ones?"_

_"Indeed they are not," Atem answers. "There are three other Guardians back in Egypt. Together, the seven Items are used to hold the Millennium Trial, in which the ka monsters of evildoers are extracted from their souls and sealed in stone. We use these stones to engage in mock ka battles."_

_"Tell me more about these ka battles," the king requests, leaning in to hear more. I can see Seto straining to warn Atem against revealing too much, but Atem is already talking away. _

_"Within each person's soul lies a creature of light or darkness. With one's heka, one can summon forth one's ka and engage it into battle with another ka. But one can also use kas that have been sealed in stone, and it's only a matter of heka in order to draw forth their power."_

_I think I can detect a spark of greed in the Nubian king's eyes as he says slowly, "I see. So only the Items have this power? How were such Items created?"_

_"By using a spell from the ancient and powerful Millennium Spell-book of the thrice-great Thoth," Atem answers. "And that is why we have come; we believe that the Spell-book, which has been stolen from us, is somewhere in your kingdom, and we have come to take it back." He tentatively consumes the last of his meal._

_King Jethiro drains his cup of wine. "Yes, we have your precious Spell-book, but we deliberately took it for our own reasons," he says in a low voice so that only Atem, Teana, and Seto can hear. "If you want it back, you shall have to fight for it." But then, in a louder voice, he continues in a lighter tone, "But for now, eat and enjoy yourselves, and we shall attend to business on the morrow." His daughter blanches at the subtle threat in her father's words, and Atem glares at his host but can only grudgingly take more food onto his plate._

_Once the banquet is over, Atem and the other Guardians make their way back to their room. "Rest well, my Prince," Seto advises. "We shall all need our strength for tomorrow."_

_"What do you think the king is planning?" Shada asks. _

_"He told the Prince that he indeed has the Spell-book, and that he will have to fight for it. I wager that he is thinking of engaging all of us in a ka battle; I know that he has powerful and capable magicians under his command. We will all need our strength for tomorrow." Shada and Karim nod, and Atem bids them good night. _

_He goes out to the balcony, and beholds the sleeping city with a sigh. "May the gods watch over me and lend me their strength," he murmurs. _

_Suddenly, he hears footsteps, and he turns around to see Teana at the door, accompanied by a single maid. She waves her away, and then enters. "Take this," she said, holding out a strange amulet carved out of green stone. Without another word, she fastens it around Atem's neck, and he flushes at her touch._

_"What is it?" he asks, holding it in his palm. _

_"It is an amulet to protect you against whatever happens tomorrow, and it will bolster your heka. It is the sacred symbol of our most powerful goddess." _

_"But… I am your enemy," he said, perplexed. "How can you want to help me?"_

_"You are my father's enemy, but not mine," Teana answers, holding his gaze for a moment too long before she turns. "Sleep well, Prince…?"_

_"Atem," my brother answers. "My given name is Atem, but few address me by it."_

_"I won't use it if you don't want me to," Teana says._

_"You may, Your Highness."_

_"Teana, just call me 'Teana'," she says._

_"What a beautiful name," Atem compliments. _

_She blushes, and then makes to leave. "I shall leave you to your rest then, Atem. May your gods hold you in the palms of their hands."_

_Atem sinks into the cushions and soon falls asleep. Blackness settles over my vision…_

_He awakes as Ra's journey across the House of Nut has just begun. With a servant's help he bathes, and then dresses. He breaks his fast alone before meeting with Seto, Shada, and Karim in the corridor. _

_"Gentlemen, to battle we go today," Seto says. _

_Karim notices the amulet at Atem's neck. "What is that, my Prince?"_

_Atem appears at a loss for words. "It is… uh… a gift from the princess; she says that it will protect me against whatever happens today."_

_Seto beholds the amulet with suspicion. "Maybe it is a charm that is meant to help her father. She is not to be trusted, my Prince. I advise that you remove it and dispose of it." _

_"I will do no such thing, Seto," Atem says coolly. "I trust her, and she has told me that I am her father's enemy, not hers."_

_"When did she say this to you?" Shada asks._

_"Last night," Atem says, coloring slightly. _

_"She was alone?" Seto demands incredulously._

_Atem only nods, but his face betrays his embarrassment. _

_"Well, well, well," Seto sneers. "It seems that the lovely princess is taken with you."_

_"What? Where did you get such a ridiculous idea?" _

_"Oh come, my Prince, she comes to your room all alone, and gives you a gift. For what other reason would she do such a thing and risk her virtue unless she has given her heart to you?"_

_Now Atem appears to be uncomfortable, but Karim claps him on the back. "You should be proud of yourself for having charmed such a beauty, my Prince. It goes to show that you are growing up to be quite the heartthrob. And she would make a fine Queen for you."_

_"Now you're just teasing," my brother protests, his cheeks becoming redder. _

_"But she is in line for her own kingdom," Shada says. "For now, let's focus on saving our kingdom, and then the Prince will be able to choose from an abundance of suitable women for his bride when the time comes." _

_Sobering up immediately, the others nod, and make their way to the throne room. The usher shows them in, and the king is waiting, with Teana and three other men. "Ah, good morning, Prince Atem of Egypt," King Jethiro greets formally. "Now we shall get down to business: why have you come to my kingdom?"_

_"We have come to take back the Millennium Spell-book of Thoth, which is rightfully ours," Atem says._

_"I see, and what, pray tell, is the reason behind your belief that it belongs to you? Who is to say that it belongs to Egypt and not to Nubia?"_

_"That is simple," Seto snaps. "It was given to us by the thrice-great God of Magic himself, Thoth." _

_"Oh? What an enchanting tale, for we believe that it was our own god of wisdom, Theru, who created the Book, and it was stolen from us by you Egyptians. So it rightfully belongs to us! The power within its pages should be ours!"  
"We haven't been able to decipher those spells; what makes you think that you simpletons can accomplish the task?" Seto demands. Atem grasps his arm in a warning. _

_"Oh, we Nubians are more capable than you think!" Jethiro retorts. "We shall decipher the spells, and harness the magic to create our own Millennium Items and rule the world! We shall break free of the bondage to you, and we shall rule you instead!" _

_"Over my dead body!" Atem snarls. _

_"Fine. I have said that you will have to fight for it, and so we shall. We shall fight, king against king, and magicians against magician: my team against yours. Is this challenge acceptable?"_

_"Yes, but it is foolish!" Seto responds in Atem's stead. "You cannot possibly compete against us! We will defeat you soundly."_

_"I would like to see you try," Jethiro says. "My magicians have also engaged in the shadow magic of ka summoning. However, it is the power to seal other kas in stone that we seek, thus building an invincible army. As it is, our own kas will do."_

_Seto, Karim, Shada, and Atem activate their diadiankhs. "Fine, then let's begin!" Atem shouts. _

_"Diaha!" he and the others cry in unison._

* * *

The vision faded, and Mahado's face came into view, and I felt a tongue against my face. There was a whimper, and I saw that Mahado held Senupi in his arms, and our dog was wriggling, trying to be free of him.

"Why, what a pleasant surprise it is to see you, Senupi!" I said warmly, stroking his head. He gave a bark, and I smiled.

"What did you see this time?" Mahado asked, sensing my returning apprehension.

"Atem, Shada, Seto, and Karim… they're fighting in a ka battle against the king and his minions in order to get the Millennium Spell-book back! I must try to see if I can recapture the vision!"

"Very well," Mahado replied hesitantly. "See if you can go back to sleep, but I dare not give you anymore poppy; I already gave you quite a bit last night."

I closed my eyes and tried to settle back into oblivion, willing my ka to leave my body. But I knew it didn't work that way, and a good portion of time slipped by while Mahado waited silently, doing his best to keep Senupi quiet. Finally, seeing that it was no use, I opened my eyes and shook my head. "It seems that I have already reached the maximum amount of sleep I am capable of," I said ruefully.

"If that is the case, you might as well break your fast," Mahado said, indicating towards a plate of duck with a slice of bread, still steaming. He put Senupi down and brought the plate to me. I meekly took a few bites of duck and one of bread. When I couldn't eat any more, I pushed the plate back into his hands. "That is more than you have been eating of late at any one meal," he said hopefully.

"Maybe a portion of my strength is returning," I replied.

"Pray Aset it is." He set the plate aside, and took me into his arms. "Tell me more about the vision." I told him more, including as many details as I could remember. I spoke quickly, for the better part of the vision was fading fast from my memory.

"So, it would seem that Mana has serious competition," he said thoughtfully. "How can she possibly compete with a Nubian princess for the Prince's hand?"  
"I'm sure that she can hold her own," I argued. "And I don't think that Atem's attention is so fleeting that it will disappear just like that."

Mahado took my hands in his. "You have to remember that he is not yet fourteen, Jani. He is a growing boy yet, still on the brink of reaching manhood, and at his age, any romantic feelings are fickle. He doesn't know much about women, and still has quite a bit of exploring to do, as all adolescent boys do. Soon enough, he will only be thinking about copulation and sowing his seed wherever his fancy dictates."

"And did you take part in this adolescent 'exploration'?" I asked testily.

His eyes widened. "Of course not! My eyes were only on you from the very beginning, although when I was first coming of age, I was often confused by the changing nature of my feelings, and the dreams I had of you began to haunt me and leave me aroused when I awoke. It soon got to the point where I was desperate to have any sort of release, but I didn't want to seek the arms of another, and so…" he trailed off, too ashamed to finish his sentence. He didn't need to; I could surmise the measures he took to relieve himself of his longing in his earlier days.

I struggled to sit up, and he helped me, propping a cushion behind my back. "I understand," I said gently. "I suppose that I can't blame you for something that you did in the past. Forgive my temporary and fleeting bout of jealousy, my love. It is comforting to know that your heart was mine from the very beginning. I'm afraid I was not as loyal to you." Briefly an image of Kanakh flickered in my mind.

Mahado looked into my eyes, and brushed back a lock of my hair as he kissed me. "What's past is past, my love, and all that matters is the present, and the future that shall be ours. You are mine now, and I am yours, and so shall we be for the rest of our days and for the eternity that awaits us in Amenti."

"Yes," I replied, yanking on him to pull him down on top of me. I kissed him again with mounting passion, my breathing becoming labored.

But he drew back, his breathing already becoming jagged. "By Thoth, you are teasing me!" he whispered in agony.

"I want you so badly, Mad," I murmured, feeling the burning longing in my thighs. "By Aset, this is torture! Here you are, by my side, and yet I can't have you… not until Atem returns, and we don't know how long that will be! This is even crueler than when you had to spend an entire month in the sanctuary away from me, and when you were at the front. At least you were physically absent then so that I can't be tempted, but now here you are, and yet I can only pleasure you with my hand, which isn't truly making love!"

Mahado sighed and laid his head against my shoulder. "Well, unfortunately, this is all I can for now to ease your longing," he said as he began to massage my neck with his tongue, his hands moving to remove my sheath so that he could fondle my naked breasts. Slowly, his kisses and hands moved further down, and I moaned as he began his agonizing caresses and strokes at the small tender pearl in between my legs. He increased the pressure and speed of his touch, and then slowed down, waiting until my hunger had abated a little before increasing them again. Each time he brought me closer and closer to the brink of ecstasy, pulling back at just the moment before I would have reached my pleasure. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of begging, he sent me over the edge.

After we had rested, I pleasured him, making sure to make him beg as much as I did before I let him have his climax. It pained me that I could not take his seed into my womb, as it should have been, as long as I was sacrificing my blood and my heka to keep the country alive. As I lay against him, my thoughts turned to my brother, who was fighting as we were enjoying pleasuring each other. _I wonder how he's doing…_ I thought to myself.

"What are you thinking of, my love?" Mahado asked, tipping my face upwards towards him.

"I was just thinking that while we were enjoying the forbidden fruits of pleasuring each other, my brother is fighting for Egypt, and his life is on the line, along with Seto's, Shada's, and Karim's! And without the Millennium Items working, they're vulnerable…"

He drew me closer and rubbed his hand along my back. "There's no use fretting over them, Jani. They are capable warriors, and I'm sure the gods are with them. All you can do is pray."

"If only I could at least see how the battle is faring!" I fumed.

"Well, you tried, and you could not," he said sympathetically. "In the meantime, you might as well find some way to distract yourself, or I shall find one for you."  
So we passed the time by tossing a ball for Senupi to catch and bring back. Finally, I felt myself feeling more tired, so I told Mahado to take Senupi for a walk while I took a nap. And, just as I hoped, my brother and the others appeared in my vision…

_Seto, Shada, and Karim are lying unconscious, and so are the three Nubian wizards. Only the king and Atem are standing, but Atem has been greatly weakened. _

_King Jethiro laughs. "See what happens when you put the well-being of your minions before you? They shall be dead soon enough and you shall join them!"_

_"I care for them because they are my friends, not merely my servants. I would rather give my life for them than be like you, who carelessly sacrifices the force of your servants to strengthen your own power!" _

_"We shall see about that when you meet my ultimate creature! I have now performed the sacrifice necessary, thanks to my wizards' dragons and my own two, summoned by the Lord of Dragons and his Flute of Summoning Dragon! Combine, my creatures, to become the great Five-Headed Mythic Dragon!" At this, a great beast appears before King Jethiro: a five-headed dragon. I feel myself trembling with fear. How can Atem possibly defeat a creature like that, especially if he can't rely on his Millennium Pendant? "Now, feel the wrath of my gods! Mythic Dragon, attack!" _

_Teana's eyes widen, but she bites her lip so that she won't scream. Atem yells, "Mirror Force, activate!" At this, a crystal shield appears, and the dragon's attack is reflected and directed back towards itself. _

_"I activate my Ring of Defense!" King Jethiro cries out, and a gray and green ring appears before the Mythic Dragon and spins, diffusing the attack. "The Ring of Defense negates any attack that is inflicted by a trap."_

_"Forgive me, my creature," Atem murmurs. "I sacrifice thee, the Brigadier of Landstar, so that I can summon the Buster Blader!" The Brigadier dissolves into light and is replaced by a menacing man clad in armor of navy and gold. "The Buster Blader is strengthened for every dragon on the field and every dragon that has died. Therefore, his might is greater than that of your Mythic Dragon. Attack, Buster Blader!" _

_The warrior does his command, but his attack is deflected by one of the dragon's heads, the one made of earth. "Nice try, Prince Atem, but the Mythic Dragon cannot be destroyed by your Buster Blader, powerful as he is."_

_"But why?" Atem asks in shock. _

_"As you can see, there are five heads on this dragon. Each represents a type of monster: fire, water, darkness, earth, and wind. The dragon cannot be destroyed by any creature of those types, and your Buster Blader is a creature of earth."_

_"So that means that only a creature of light can destroy it," Atem observes._

_"Very perceptive. Now, I shall weaken your creature with the Spell-binding Circle." A circle of light appears around the Buster Blader, capturing it in the middle, and the warrior groans. "Now, Mythic Dragon, counterattack!" All five heads attack, combining their force into one gigantic dark beam that destroys the Buster Blader. Atem falls to his knees, and Teana suppresses a cry. I feel a sickening sense of fear as I realize that in one more attack, Atem will surely die. "And now, I play a spell that will allow me to attack again if I sacrifice a small portion of my ba." King Jethiro groans a little, but with a wide smirk, he says, "Farewell, Prince Atem. I shall be sure to send your body back to your homeland, to your sister, who I hear is dying as well. Surely this will break her heart, and your kingdom shall be ours. Mythic Dragon, deliver the final blow!"_

_"No!" Teana and I cry out at the same time. Suddenly, a light glows around me, and I don the appearance of my ka, the Empress Witch, and I fly down to intercept the attack. Atem has braced himself against the force of the attack, and I prepare to die, for surely, if I take the attack head-on, then that is what will happen. But strangely, the attack does nothing and dissolves into a beam of light. _

_Atem, feeling nothing, looks up. "Empress Witch…" he murmurs. "Jani!" Suddenly, two figures appear on either side of me, and I see that I am not alone. On my left is the Black Luster Soldier, bearing Father's face. "Father…" Atem whispers "Then that means that you…" he addresses to the creature on my right, "…are you…?"_

_Trembling fiercely, I look around, and I behold the mysterious woman, bedecked in the robes of white and bearing the headdress of Aset. But I would recognize her eyes anywhere. They are the same loving eyes that have looked down on me in the first seven years of my life. "Yes, my son," she answers. "I am your mother." She turns to me and smiles. "You have done well, Jasana, my little jewel. By your willingness to sacrifice yourself, you have summoned us here." _

_"Have no fear, my boy, for we shall protect you," Father says. _

_Atem's eyes well up as he replies, "All of you… thank you." _

_"Now, with our grace, we will lend you the strength you need to summon the creature to defeat this tyrant," Mother says. "Summon forth your strongest creature of light!" _

_Atem nods. "See, King Jethiro, the power of family, especially the divine family of the Line of Horus! With my family's help, I shall summon the Silent Magician!" A woman clad in white armor appears, carrying a white wand. _

_Suddenly, a different ka appears, another woman clad in robes of sweeping dark blue, and bearing a wand in the shape of a crescent moon. She is starkly beautiful, and she opens her eyes, and I recognize the eyes of Teana. I look over, and see that her eyes are closed in concentration, and I realize that this must be her ka. But why is she getting involved?_

_King Jethiro recognizes this too. "Stay out of this, Daughter! Call back your ka at once!" _

_"I will not let you harm him," she speaks through her ka. "And I will help him defeat you!" _

_"How dare you betray me!" her father shouts in anger. "I shall see you punished for this!" _

_"You will never harm anyone again. Prince Atem, my special ability allows you to perform a magic spell that has already been used in the duration of this battle. I will use this ability to allow you to play Magic Transfer, which my father used earlier to transfer power from one of his creatures to another."_

_Atem's eyes soften. "Thank you, Teana. I will use this spell to transfer power from all creatures on the field to my Silent Magician!" Father, Mother, and I put our hands together and willingly transfer all of our strength to the woman in white, and she absorbs the Mythic Dragon's abilities as well. "Also, King Jethiro, you should know that my Magician is a creature of light! So farewell!" With a dazzling beam of white light from the tip of her wand, the Silent Magician destroys the Mythic Dragon, and King Jethiro falls to the ground, his life force draining out of him. Atem smiles in triumph. "I win." _

_"You have fought very valiantly, my son," Father praises. "We're proud of you. Now, recover the Spell-book, and return to Egypt. We'll be watching over you always." _

_Mother turns to me, and for a brief moment, cups her warm hands around my face, and I feel my eyes fill with tears at her touch. "You have done very well, my jewel. Enjoy the remainder of time you have with your beloved husband, while they still last." Her eyes are filled with a strange sadness, and I feel that her words are a warning._

_"What do you mean, Mother?" I ask. _

_"I'm afraid I cannot say anymore," she says ruefully. "We must take our leave."_

_"Wait! Don't go!" I plead. _

_She and Father hold hands as they fade. "We shall be watching over you always, and know that we are waiting for you in Amenti…"_

_As they fade, Atem collapses, the battle having taken a great toll of his heka. He crumples to the ground, and Teana runs to him, calling out his name._

* * *

**Thanks for reading! As always, please leave a review too!**


	49. Waiting

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh**

* * *

"Ka of my heart,  
Love of my soul,  
Most beloved of my life,  
Thy love is more precious than Gold.

Just one kiss  
Is enough to sustain me  
For all of my days,  
One glance from thine eyes  
Is brighter than Ra's rays

One night in your arms  
Is like Amenti present  
In the House of Geb,  
A paradise denied  
For you are absent from my bed.

My dearest wife,  
My brightest jewel,  
What I would not give,  
To have you revived,

For as the life drains from you,  
So the blood from my heart,  
If you were to die, my love,  
I shall not long survive…"

As he recited this, Mahado gently kissed my eyelids, my cheeks, my nose, and, finally, my mouth. I weakly stirred at his passion, trying my best to return it. "I see you have added more to it," I whispered.

"Ah, so it worked," he said, relief flooding his voice. "I was thinking of how to try to wake you, but you wouldn't stir when I shook you." He gently picked up my hand, and as I opened my eyes I saw his face blanch. "Jani… your ba is even more reduced than it should be! What happened?"

"It's kind of a long story," I replied feebly.

He tenderly propped me up with pillows and handed me a cup of bitter medicine, which I did my best to swallow. "It will restore the strength to your blood; your pulse has been really weak of late. Lady Aseneit, Aramen, and Isis have been working diligently to try to keep your physical body sustained, even if your spirit and life force are being drained." He took the cup and put it away. Taking my hands in his, he coaxed, "Come, tell me; there is plenty of time, and I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."

So I told him of the portion of the duel that I saw, and how Father and Mother had appeared. "But how did you do it?" he asked in wonder.

I shook my head. "I know not; I only know that I had screamed, and then suddenly there I was, dressed as my ka and intercepting the attack, and Father and Mother appeared beside me. The rest happened as I said it did."

"Remarkable," Mahado said. "That means that he will gain back the Millennium Spell-book!"

"If the King of the Nubians keeps his word," I said darkly. Something told me that Atem's ordeal wasn't finished yet.

"What was the last thing you saw?" my husband pressed.

"I saw Atem collapsing from the exertion of the battle, and the Princess Teana running to him. That was where my vision ended. I don't know what became of Seto, Shada, and Karim."

He sighed. "Then it may be a while before we see them again, for they will have to recover their strength if they are to make the return journey. Can you hold out for that long?"  
I nodded, trying my best to hide my frailty. "With the goddess's help, I shall."

"But your heka… it was spent in the battle too, as well as your ba! At this rate, I'm afraid you only have enough to last you for another month!" he said worriedly.

"Nonsense, I will be fine," I said as I drifted back into oblivion. "Trust me, my love…"

* * *

_Atem is lying in a bed, tossing and turning. Teana is at his side, mopping his brow. "Jani… Sister…" he cries out. I wish with all my heart that I can reach out to him, but I cannot._

_A servant enters, and Teana turns to him. "Well?" she demands. "What news of the others?"_

_"The Lord Seto is recovering the fastest; he will awaken any day now. The Lord Karim has suffered the most severe injuries, and there is a chance that he might not survive. The Lord Shada is making steady progress."_

_Teana nods. "Good. Tell the physician that he is to do whatever it takes to ensure that they all return to good health."  
"Of course, my Queen," the servant says before he bows and leaves. _

_Teana's eyes widen, and then she murmurs to herself, "That is right, I am the Queen now… and my father is dead…"_

_A maid enters. "My Queen, your orders have been followed."_

_She nods. "We shall keep the location a secret until the Prince of Egypt is ready to learn of it, and that shall not be for a long while."_

_The maid bows and leaves like the servant, and Teana turns her glance back to Atem. She gingerly reaches out a hand to him, as if she wants to cup his cheek, but is too afraid to. I don't know what to make of this. I want Atem to be with Mana, but I can see that this woman is good-hearted, and I don't want to see her hurt. _

_Just then, Atem calls out, "Mana… I have something I want to show to you…" He reaches a hand out as if he is beckoning to her, and Teana sits back, gasping as if she has been struck. She turns around and flees the room. _

* * *

Tried as I did, I could not hide the fact that my grip on my life was loosening gradually. I now spent the better part of everyday unconscious, and every time I opened my eyes, I saw my husband murmur a prayer of gratitude before he fed me some broth. I could only take a tiny amount of food now, and although Lady Aseneit and Isis continued to attend to me, I could tell from the grim set of their mouths that they were worried.

Mahado also tried to hide the toll that my deterioration was taking on him, but I could see it written all over his face. From what I could surmise, he now spent every moment by my side, except for when he had to attend to the Temple of Thoth, as it was his month of duty.

"Please, just consider my offer," I heard Kenut say.

"But why are you offering now? Where were you when this ordeal first began and the other hekaus offered their help in defending the palace?" Mahado asked sharply

"I was meditating in the sanctuary to strengthen my magic," Kenut replied. "But now here I am, and I want to help defend the palace. With my extra help, you could siphon off some of your heka to give to your dying wife. I know that you've been itching to give her your heka."

"But she has told me that I must defend the palace, and so I shall respect her wishes," Mahado said stiffly.

"Soon she will no longer be around to give orders, Mahado," Kenut murmured. "As much as we don't want to admit it, it is true. And as hard as it may be for you to accept, I understand your pain as you are watching her die. I care for her as much as you do."

I hear Mahado's robes sweep the floor and his shadow fall across my face. "Stay away from her," he warned. "And I don't need your help."

"I mean you and your beloved no harm," Kenut replied, "and as much as I wish it were otherwise, her heart was always yours. Even I could not sway her, as much as I tried to. But you are wrong; you do need my help. With my strengthened heka protecting the palace, you could devote yours to keeping her alive."

There was a long pause, and then Mahado sighed. "As much as I loathe you, I shall consider your offer, and give you my answer on the morrow."

I heard retreating footsteps, and then Mahado's warm hand was tracing the contours of my face. "What should I do, my love? Should I trust that scoundrel with keeping the palace safe, all for my selfish reason of wanting to keep you alive? It is a tempting offer…" He took my hand and pressed it to his cheek. As much as I wanted to move my hand and give him a sign that I heard him, I was too weak to do so. "Please, Jani, please stay with me," he murmured, his voice shaky. "You have no idea how much I love you, how much I need you, my love…"

* * *

"You did _what_?" Isis demanded. "Do you seriously trust that man, after he tried to seduce Jasana?"

"I accepted his offer, and now his heka is contributing to the palace's defenses. He volunteered, and it is not in my position to deny him, not when we need every helping hand we can get. Semni will keep an eye on him."

"Mahado, I cannot believe you are doing this! This is madness! Are you truly so desperate now that you will use your heka to sustain Jasana and forsake the palace?"

"The palace is in good hands, and Akhnadin and Shimon have reported that there is not a heightened threat to the kingdom as we had feared. Besides, now would be the perfect time for me to give my heka to Jani- I am serving in the Temple of Thoth for the month, and I can draw on the heka in there to refresh my strength. I am not neglecting the palace, I will continue to fortify it as well as give a portion of my heka to my wife."

"But when your month of duty is over and you can no longer draw from that source, what then?" Isis argued. "Your heka is only a limited supply, Mahado. Don't throw it away lightly!"

"I must do this, Isis. Jani won't last for much longer if I do not. And if my life is exchanged for hers, then so be it. But rest assured, I will not let her die, and the Prince will surely return before my life force is out."

"I hope so, for both of your sakes," she replied reluctantly.

* * *

"By the power of Thoth, I command thee, my heka, to flow from my hands into the body of Sahm-Aset Jasana." I felt a rush of warmth in my chest, and then I opened my eyes. Feeling a sudden surge of strength, I sat up. "My love!" Mahado cried, reaching out to gather me in his arms. His lips pressed hungrily against mine. "At last, you have awakened…"

"Mad…" I murmured. "What have you done?"

He pulled back to look at me. "I have given you a portion of my heka, Jani. Now it shall be my heka that will sustain you as the remainder of yours is sacrificed to Aset."

"You can't!" I cried. "This will drain you of your strength!"

He smiled and held me close. "Do not fret, my love, it is only a tiny portion of my heka, you still have a substantial amount, although it is not much. I will be perfectly fine, I promise you."

"But for how long?" I asked, trembling.

"For the remainder of this month, I can rely on the heka in the Temple of Thoth to renew myself," he answered.

"But after that?" I pressed.

He looked away, and I knew that he didn't want to answer the question truthfully. "I shall manage," he answered carefully. Changing the subject, he continued, "My love, there is something that I must tell you, while you are still awake… I love you, Jani. I love you more than words can ever say, with every fiber of my being, every breath from my body. Every beat of my heart is for you, and I would do anything for you, even if it means that I must die so that you will live."

"Don't talk like that," I pleaded, tears starting to my eyes. "You're scaring me…"

He held me against his chest, and I listened to his heartbeat. "There is no need to be frightened, Jani. I am only reminding you how much I love you, because earlier, I was cursing myself as I realized that I never told you the extent of my love, and I begged the gods for a chance to tell you, in case you should never open your eyes and gaze upon me again in this life…"

"And I love you, Mad," I whispered. "You are everything to me. If you were to die, I would no longer have the will to live. So please, for my sake, save your ba and your heka for yourself!"

He gently shook his head. "My ba and heka are mine to do with as I wish, and I wish to use them to sustain you, my love. Don't worry, I will be fine. Thoth will help me, and together, we shall prevail until your brother's return."

I tried to protest, but already my strength was wearing out, and I closed my eyes, my hand brushing across his chest before falling at my side.

* * *

_Atem stirs, and finally opens his eyes. Upon seeing him awake, Teana is clearly relieved. "Thank the Goddess you have awakened!" she breathed. _

_My brother tries to get out of bed. "I must get… the Book… where is it?" he asks weakly. _

_Teana puts her hands on his chest to force him back down, blushing as her hands meet his hard muscles. "You are in no condition to get out of bed. Rest, and when your strength has fully returned, I will return the Book to you. This I swear by the Goddess. I am Queen now, and I shall do what is right."_

_"But… that means… I killed your father," Atem says, remorse filling his half-open amethyst eyes._

_"Yes, but it is the way of battle. You defeated him fair and square, and he paid the price. If it had been the other way around, you would have lost your life. And frankly… I'm glad that you won the match. My father doesn't care for me; he would have married me off to the first nobleman. I've used my wiles to delay marriage, and now, thanks to you, I am free."_

_"But even so, I'm sorry," Atem murmurs._

_"You don't have to be," Teana says. "I'm sorry that my father challenged you and made you go through this ordeal. I shall see your health returned to you, just you wait. But for now, sleep…" Her hand gently runs through his hair, and he falls back asleep under her touch. _

_Footsteps approach and Teana turns around to face Seto. "Lord Seto," she greets politely._

_Seto enters. "How is he?" he asks. _

_"He has awakened, but now he is sleeping again," the princess replies. _

_"I see. I must thank you for treating us so kindly, Queen Teana. Such kindness shall not be forgotten."_

_"You are our guests, I am only treating you as is your due," she replies. Her gaze falls back on Atem. _

_"I'm afraid I must say that your affections on him are wasted, Princess," Seto lightly warns. _

_Her eyes flash. "What do you mean?"_

_"For one, he cannot stay here as your consort; he is meant to take his place on the Horus Throne in a few years' time. Secondly, there are rumors that his heart has already been captured by a certain girl back in Egypt: a lowly girl who has grown up with him. The two of them are inseparable. You would do well to lay your eyes on someone else."_

_"There are possibilities," Teana counters. "And how could a chit of a girl compare with me, the descendant of the Goddess?"_

_Seto looks upon her with what I believe to be a faint trace of pity. "Trust me, Queen, it is useless to give your heart to someone you cannot have. It can only lead to pain." He bows, and then turns around and leaves. _

_"We'll see if I can or cannot have him," Teana mutters under her breath._

* * *

"On behalf of your wife, who is unable to do so, I command you to eat, Mahado," Aramen said with a teasing but menacing tone. "Come on, I took extra care to prepare your favorite food; the least you could do to show your gratitude is to eat it."

"Thank you for going through all the trouble, Aramen, but it was not necessary."

"It was not necessary? You're becoming as thin as Jasana! How in the world can you continue to sustain her with your heka if you don't barely sustain yourself?"

"My lovely wife has a good point, Mahado," I heard Semni say. "And if you do not do as she says, you will incur the wrath of an enormously pregnant woman, and trust me, you don't want that."

"Indeed, you don't. I shall be very furious with you," Aramen warned lightly.

Mahado sighed. "You sound just like Jani when she was carrying our child," he said wistfully.

"And it is out of concern for the both of you that I insist that you eat," she replied softly. "What would Jasana say if she could see you like this, pining away at her side?"

"She would have a fit," he admitted.

"Exactly. So please, the most that you can do for your wife is to take care of yourself. It is only if you are well that you can attend to her. You worry too much about her, Mahado, although I don't blame you. Lady Aseneit, Isis, and I are working night and day to try to make her strength last as long as it can." There was the sound of Mahado eating, and Aramen continued in relief, "That's a good boy; eat it all up."

"By Thoth, you treat him as if he were one of our children," Semni joked.

"Well, because he's acting like one," Aramen replied squarely. At this, I couldn't help but smile, and if I had the strength to have been fully conscious, I would have laughed. Aramen seemed to have seen me, because she cried out, "See! Even in her semi-conscious state, Jasana agrees with me, I saw her smile just now!"

I heard a rustle as Mahado whipped around. "So she is," he concurred. "So, Jani, you think me childish?" I tried to reply, but I could not. "Wait, on second thought, I'm not sure I want that answered." After a few silent moments, he asked, "So, Semni, have there been any leads on who assisted in the theft of the Spell-book."

"No, there is not. All of the hekaus are being questioned, but without the Millennium Items, it's impossible to tell who is lying and who is not. I'm afraid such inquiries will be useless until the Book is restored to us."

"And are the defenses holding up well?"

"Yes, they are holding up perfectly fine. But you know, we could always use your help. The students miss you, Mana most of all. She even said that the classroom felt empty without your reassuring presence there, a sentiment echoed by nearly everyone else."

"Indeed? Mana misses me?" Mahado asked in surprise. "I thought that she would be glad to not have our private lessons."

"At first that seemed to be the case, but as the months wear on, I think she's starting to become bored now that the Prince isn't around," Semni replied. "Come, my friend, it will do your heart good to return to the classroom. Forgive me for saying so, but I think it would be better than to watch your wife in her condition."

"If you worry about her being alone, I will be more than happy to watch over her," Aramen offered.

"It's what Jasana would want you to do, to carry on with your regular routine," Semni pressed. "You can always keep her company after the lessons."

"If you can get him to move from Jasana's side, Semni, you would be a miracle worker. I've tried for two weeks now, and nothing I've done or said would budge him," I heard Isis say. "Really, Mahado, Semni speaks the truth. Besides, Nephthys won't suffer anyone else's hand but yours in Jasana's absence, and she needs the exercise. Aramen and I can watch over her in your stead until your return."

"But if she were to awaken, I want to be here," Mahado argues.

"That is not likely now, I'm afraid," Isis said ruefully. "But if she were to revive, I shall send for you immediately, as well as relay any message she might have."

"Come, at the very least you could use a bath and perhaps a shave," Semni coaxed. "In case Jasana does wake up, you would want to look your best for her, don't you?"

"I suppose you're right, Semni," Mahado reluctantly agreed. "And it would definitely refresh my senses."

I could hear a sigh of relief, although I couldn't see from whom, as Mahado cupped my cheek and planted a light kiss on my lips. "I will be back soon, my love," he whispered.

* * *

_Atem is pacing the length of his room, the effort clearly draining him of energy. He sits on the bed, panting, and then is about to walk into the hallway when he almost collides with Teana. "Pardon me, Princess," he quickly says. "Or rather, pardon me, Queen Teana."_

_Teana gasps. "What are you doing out of bed?" she demands. "You should be resting! You're still quite weak."_

"_And what better way for me to regain my strength than to exercise? I feel as if I've been cooped up in here for far too long; I should be out in the sunshine, and on my way back to Egypt with my men!" Atem makes to push past her. _

_She stops him by placing her hands on his chest. "As the Queen and head healer, I must insist, Prince Atem," she says firmly. Then, realizing how close they are, she blushes and steps back. "Only plenty of rest will give you back your strength." _

"_And plenty of delicious food too," Atem jests, patting his stomach with both hands and making Teana laugh. _

"_I've brought you more." She gestures to a servant, who comes in carrying a tray. _

"_Ah, that is a most welcome sight. Perhaps you would care to join me?" he casually invites. _

_Teana hesitates, but then nods. "I would be most honored," she replies as she seats herself at a nearby table. _

"_How is Karim doing?"Atem asks. _

"_He is still quite weak, it may be another month before he heals and is prepared to travel back to Egypt."_

"_If only Jani and Isis were looking after him, he would have surely healed by now," Atem murmurs, more to himself than to Teana. Suddenly, realizing what he just said, he stammers, "I… I d-don't m-mean to say that you are incompetent, Teana. That is not what I meant at all. Forgive me if I have offended you."_

"_No offense taken," she said, leaning her arms towards him in a way that makes the swooping neckline of her dress reveal more of her cleavage. "Tell me about your sister." _

"_She's the best," Atem says, his eyes shining. "For as long as I can remember, she's been like a mother to me. She's always been there to guide me, teaching me how to ride, how to use my heka. But most of all, she has taught me how to be a good person, living by the ways of ma'at, but without consciously doing it. She teaches by example, by the way she lives her life every day. Most precious of all the gifts that she has given me is love. She has teased me about finding a wife, but I don't think I could ever find a woman who could compare with her, even if I were to search the corners of the earth."_

"_She sounds like an extraordinary woman," Teana says wistfully. _

"_She is. You would like her if you could meet her, something tells me that the two of you would get along. And Mana too." _

_A shadow flickers across Teana's face, but she quickly conceals it. "And who is Mana?"_

"_My best friend," Atem answers. "She's so much fun to be with, and she has eyes that are not quite as blue as yours, but they have more green in them." I can see that Teana doesn't know whether to be flattered or jealous at this comparison between the two of them. "She is incredibly sweet, and knows just the right thing to say to cheer me up when I need her, and…" he pauses, blushing slightly. _

_An awkward silence ensues, and then Teana says, "You are fortunate to have such friends. I am an only child- my mother died giving birth to me, and my father has never forgiven me for not being the son that he wanted. I have tried to befriend my maids, but they always keep to their place. There's nobody to confide in, nobody to really talk to, nobody who knows the secrets of my heart…" She looks away, but then quickly assumes a gracious smile. "Forgive me, I should not be burdening you, a guest, with such sentiments."_

"_On the contrary, I like it when you talk honestly, even if it is of unpleasant things," Atem replies. "You should never have to hide your true feelings from everyone; even a royal needs close friends to rely on. I can be such a friend to you for as long as I am here."_

"_There is nothing that would please me more," Teana says. _

"_So, would you care to show me around the palace? I'm more than ready to get out of this room!" _

"_Wait another day, and then perhaps I shall," she replies. "Tomorrow night we are celebrating my coronation, and I think you shall be sufficiently recovered by then to attend. I think the palace is more beautiful at night, when the torches are lit, and especially when the moon is shining. I shall be happy to show you around after the feast." _

_There is a subtle hint in her words, but Atem doesn't seem to notice. "Very well. Until then, Queen Teana." He sweeps her a bow, and she can't seem to keep her eyes off him. Their eyes meet, and there seems to be a volatile spark in the space between them. _

_Teana smiles as she leaves. "Until then, Prince Atem." _

* * *

Isis's voice softly and tentatively filled the room, accompanied by the sweet sound of her harp. "What a… beautiful song," I murmured in a thread of a whisper.

She smiled. "Thank you. But of all times to awaken, you just had to choose the time when Mahado is busy in the classroom! I'd hate to interrupt him, but he told me to send for him if you should awaken…"

"No…" I whispered. "Leave him be… I must speak with you, Isis."

"What is it?" she asked anxiously.

"My ba is slowly draining away, as is my heka… First of all, you must make sure that Mahado continues to sacrifice my blood. If he does not, then my life will be wasted in vain."

Isis nodded her head. "I will."

"Most importantly of all, I know that he has been giving me his heka, but it cannot save me. It is my heka and my blood that the land demands. If it comes down to my life, you must do whatever it takes to ensure that he does not give his life for me. Promise me this, Isis…" I paused, trying to steady my breath and find the strength for more words. "He must not lay down his life for me… my brother will need him when the time comes."

I could see the hesitation in Isis's eyes. "I'm afraid that he is most determined to keep you alive, Jasana. I do not know if that is a promise that I can make."

"Please, Isis… I know you'll think of a way… if I have to, I shall make it a royal command…"

Finally, Isis bowed her head. "I will do my best, Jasana, and that is all I can promise."

"Good, that is good…" I said, feeling myself slowly returning to oblivion. "I wish that I can gaze upon his face… But if I don't awaken, tell him that I love him, and I always will, even as my spirit flies to Amenti…"

* * *

_Atem and Seto sweep into the banquet hall, which is already alive with music and laughter. Upon seeing them, Teana's eyes light up. A servant shows the two of them to the dais where she is, and Atem is given the seat of honor next to her, while Seto sits on his other side. "Enjoy yourselves," she says, sweeping her arms before her._

_The two of them dig in, Atem biting away ravenously. Seto, being more restrained, takes a taste of a dish here and there, and then a sip of his wine._

_Teana chuckles, "Someone has quite the appetite tonight!"_

_"I can't help it!" Atem lightly retorts. "This is the first time I've been out of that room; I've been confined there for a good month! I intend to enjoy every minute of freedom while I can!"_

_Teana smiles. "Well, it is good to see that you are recovering well. I shall have leftovers sent to the Lord Karim."_

_"I thank you for your extended hospitality to us, and to our men on the field as well," Atem says. "Your kindness will not be forgotten."_

_"There is no need to thank me, I am glad to host the men of Egypt, especially their Prince and his advisors," she replies warmly, her eyes dancing at Atem. _

_Seto takes note of the glance between them, but before he can say anything, a man at another table stands up. "A toast to Her Majesty, our Goodhearted Queen Teana!" Everyone raises their cups to her, and she raises hers in acknowledgment, blushing slightly. It seems that she will blush at the slightest of compliments. "My Queen, we heartily celebrate your ascension to the throne and eagerly await the day when you will announce who your consort will be."_

_"My good vizier," Teana formally replies. "I humbly receive your toast, and rest assured that I shall pick a consort after I have had an ample amount of time to contemplate my choices."_

_The music resumes, and Atem turns to Teana. "A consort?" he asks curiously._

_Teana nods, looking away. "I must marry so that I can have heirs for the throne," she explains. "My father has been trying to get me to marry for years, having received many offers from fine noblemen, but I have turned them all down so far. They all seem the same to me: eager to have me not for the woman that I am, but for what I am- the wealthy princess of the country. None of them have elicited that spark of love that I long to feel," she says sadly. _

_Atem reaches over and covers her hands, which are lying in her lap, with one of his. "I'm sure that you will find that love," he says gently. "My sister also faced that same problem, but after much perseverance, she has found the love of her life."_

_"How did she manage to do that?" Teana asks forlornly._

_"Well, I guess the gods must have been smiling on her all along, for the love of her life is none other than Mahado, who has been her best friend since they were little, and he is like an older brother to me. I was ecstatic when I found out that they love each other; to me there couldn't have been a more perfect match anywhere."_

_They enjoy the rest of the feast, and then Teana takes her leave. "I wish to show the Prince Atem how lovely the gardens are at night," she says. One of the maids rises to leave with her, and Seto makes to rise too, but she says pointedly, "Seto, why don't you stay and enjoy the feast? I believe there is a noblewoman over there who wishes to learn more about you." Sure enough, there is a decent-looking lady making eyes at him. _

_Seto gets the hint. "Of course, Your Majesty." He shoots a warning look at Atem, who doesn't appear to notice as he floats away at Teana's side._

_Once they arrive at the gardens, she silently gestures her maid away. Atem gives her a questioning look, and she explains, "Tofrael is my most loyal handmaiden; she will not spread gossip about me." She takes his arm and links it with hers, and they stroll leisurely about the gardens. "This is my favorite place in the entire palace, especially at this time of the night if there is a full moon."_

_"It's magnificent," Atem says, his voice higher than normal._

_"Indeed it is, but I haven't shown this place to anyone. It's my private garden, and before it belonged to me, it belonged to my mother. It was a gift from my father." They pause by a mandrake tree, and Teana turns to face him, stepping closer to him. "This is where my father proposed to my mother," she whispered. "I hope that someday, the man I love will propose to me here as well."_

_Suddenly, before Atem could respond, she presses her lips to his, lightly at first, and then she becomes bolder, pressing harder and looping her arms around his neck. At first he is overwhelmed by the new sensation of this kiss, but then he kisses her back, his lips hungrily devouring hers. The passion lasts only for a moment before he abruptly opens his eyes and steps away. Turning his face away, he says, "You flatter me, Teana, with your devotion, but I am not the man for you." _

_"If not you, Atem, then who else?" Teana cries, her face crestfallen with disappointment. "I have never met a man kinder than you, or more handsome, I fell in love with you from the moment I first saw you!" Then, suddenly, she says in realization, "But your heart is back in Egypt… it already belongs to someone else." Tears fill her eyes, but she has too much dignity to shed them. _

_"Forgive me, Teana, but it does," Atem says quietly as he leaves. _

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please leave a review too! If this chapter seems like a filler one, it's because, like 43 and 44, it was going to be longer, but then I figured that it would be best to cut it in half so that the two chapters could contain all I wanted to cover. Next update coming out soon!**


	50. The Return

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh**

* * *

_`Atem and Seto step into a room where Shada and Karim are. Shada is sitting up, reading, but Karim is still lying down. Upon seeing them, Shada smiles. "Greetings, Seto and my Prince."_

"_How are you feeling?" Atem asks anxiously. _

"_Much better; they say that I shall be up and about soon."_

_Karim stirs and Atem approaches him. "How about you, Karim?"_

"_Well, I'm still very weak, but I hope to be better within a month." _

"_But… already two months have passed. If we wait…" Atem's voice falters._

"_Jasana may not be able to hold on that long," Karim says, voicing Atem's unspoken fear. "You cannot afford to wait for me, my Prince. You must retrieve the Book and return as soon as possible."_

"_But… I can't leave you behind!" Atem insists. _

"_We'll be fine; I'll stay here with him, and then we'll both return to Egypt when we are both recovered. But it is imperative that you return to Egypt with the Spell-book as soon as possible," Shada says. _

_Atem sighs. "You're right; forgive me, but I must get back. I must save my sister before it is too late." _

_Teana, hiding beside the doorway, hears the entire exchange. She turns quietly to leave, but there is a figure in the shadows. I gasp aloud as I see Yewera, but since I am only an invisible shadow, nobody can hear me. "You desire him," she says flatly, "but he does not return your affections." Teana looks at her but says nothing, and she steps closer. "You could change that, you know."_

"_How?" Teana asks. _

"_With this…" Yewera holds up a purple potion. "This is the strongest love potion in existence. Simply slip this into his wine, and his heart shall be yours forever." _

_Teana hesitates. "I don't want to deceive him… I don't know if I can do it." _

"_You are simply using your feminine wiles, with a little extra assistance," Yewera replies. "It is not deception; you are simply giving his heart a gentle nudge in the right direction. Come, I can see that you want him above all else, and he is quite the handsome man. There is none other like him…"_

_Teana glances at the potion, and then looks back at Atem. Desire flares in her eyes, and then she turns to take the potion. Yewera smirks triumphantly. I know that there is another reason why she wants Atem under Teana's spell. I open my mouth, but my cries fall on deaf ears as Teana slips the potion into a cup of wine, and sweeps into the room where Atem is. _

"_Queen Teana!" Atem greets with surprise. _

"_I see that you seem rather parched, Atem. May I offer you a drink? This is the best wine in the kingdom." She holds out the cup to him. _

_Seto glances at her as if he can sense something is amiss, but he says nothing as Atem takes the cup._

"_Atem! No! Don't drink it!" I cry out. But my cries are useless as he drains the cup._

* * *

"Don't… drink… it…" I whispered, weakly spreading my arms out to the illusion of my brother in a futile attempt to stop him.

Immediately I felt Mahado's strong arms come around me. "Jani… be calm, my love. You mustn't squander your energy!"

"Atem… my brother…" I gasped.

Mahado stroked my cheek. "Peace, my love. Take a deep breath, and tell me what you saw."

I inhaled shakily. "The Queen Teana… she's given him a love potion! Now he'll never… return to Egypt!" Tears started to spill from my eyes.

Mahado regarded me with his worried indigo orbs. "I'm sure that it's not what you think it is, Jani. He will return. Have faith… Aset will see to it that he returns…" But I could tell from the expression on his face that he was just as dubious of that as I.

* * *

_It is night, and Atem is sitting by Teana's side in the banquet hall. The love potion is already taking effect, and it is evident in the way Atem never takes his eyes off the Nubian Queen, and the way he leans in low to whisper in her ear. Teana is obviously pleased with this, but Seto seems perplexed. _

"_Pardon me, my Prince, but is everything all right? Forgive me for saying so, but you are acting most strangely tonight."_

_Atem lets out a laugh that is so unlike him it makes my skin crawl. "I could not be any better, Seto! I am simply enjoying the company of this lovely woman right here. I declare to the gods, I am in love!" With that, he winds an arm about Teana's waist and draws her close. Seto's eyes narrow at her, as if he can sense something of her trickery, and upon her eyes meeting his, she pales a little, but then quickly recovers her composure._

"_That cannot bode well for us at all," Shada says in a low voice to Seto._

"_Indeed it does not. I had a hunch from the very beginning that she had designs on him, and it is now evident. But Atem can't possibly return her affections of his own volition; my guess is that she has him under the spell of a love potion, and a very powerful one at that."_

"_That is not good, not good at all. If he does not come to his senses soon, then only the gods know how long we will be here. And if that happens, then it may be too late to save the Queen Regent from sacrificing her life for the Two Lands."_

"_Then it is time we take measures into our own hands," Seto says firmly. "We must begin our search for the Book ourselves, without his help, but we must do it secretly. My guess is that the Queen Teana is no longer our friend; she is keeping the Book in order to keep the Prince here. If that is the case, she will not hand it over willingly and will probably have it well-hidden somewhere. Let us begin our task on the morrow." Shada nods, and they silently observe the rest of the feast. _

_Once the music fades and the rest of the guests begin to stagger out of the hall, Atem and Teana follow suit. Atem stumbles, clearly drunk. "My Prince! Allow me to assist you back to your chamber!" Seto offers._

"_There is no need, Seto, I shall see him safely to his bed," Teana replies, a sweet smile on her face and a gleam in her eyes. Seto opens his mouth to protest, but Atem wordlessly waves him away. _

_She loops one of Atem's arms over her shoulder and winds another around his waist as they walk to her room. He is laughing like a maniac, and it pains me to see him so intoxicated. "That was… quite a feast," he says, his speech becoming slurred. _

"_Indeed it was," she concurs, laughing softly. _

"_And you are… the most beautiful woman I have ever met," Atem says. _

_Teana blushes, looking as if she is too dazzled to believe that this is all true. They arrive at the doorway to Atem's chamber, and she helps him inside to his bed. Unwinding his arm from around her shoulders, she gently kisses him on the cheek. "Sleep well, my handsome prince," she murmurs. _

_She turns to go, but then Atem roughly pulls on her arm, and there is a look of surprise as he pulls her into a rough, passionate kiss. But then she quickly loses herself to the passion, and she gently pushes him so that he is lying down on the bed. He quickly rolls over so that now he is the one on top. _

"_Teana… " he moans as his kisses move lower towards her neck, his hands fumbling to remove her gown. For her part, she can only softly mew her pleasure as her hands roughly pull off his tunic and his kilt so that he is completely naked. Finally, losing patience, Atem roughly rips off her dress, the fine silk tearing at the clasps. "Say that you want me as much as I want you!" _

"_Yes… ohhhh yes! I want you, Atem!" she moans as he begins to suckle at her hard nipples. I try to will my eyes to close, bile rising in my throat so that I feel as if I could vomit with disgust, but the vision will not fade. I am forced to watch in horror as their breathing comes faster. They kiss again and again, and Teana winds her legs around him in order to pull him into her. Her moans come louder as his thrusts come faster. _

"_Teana, my sweet flower, my precious jewel… "Atem whispers breathlessly. _

_I try to close my eyes. How can I possibly spy on my own brother making love to someone? No sister should ever have to see this! Oh gods, why are you torturing me with this?_

"_Atem! Ohhhhh… Atem… my love…" she moans in reply. "Please… harder… ahhh…. Yesssss… harder…" He does his best to oblige her wishes, thrusting with more enthusiasm. "OHHHH!" she screams as she reaches her pleasure, echoing his cries of ecstasy. Exhausted, Atem collapse on top of her, and gently kisses her forehead silently. Soon, he is asleep, and he rolls off her. _

_But Teana does not sleep, and after a while, she gently pries herself from his arms and looks down at him. She cups his face in the palm of her hand, but then he stirs, and she abruptly pulls away, remorse in her eyes. She quickly steals away to her own room, and then throws herself onto her bed, weeping bitterly. "What have I done?" she cries._

* * *

Finally, at last, the vision ended, and I started to gag for real. But since there was little in my stomach, no vomit came up. Mahado came rushing to my side, and he turned me over so that any vomit would not choke me. "Jani!" He pushed a basin under my chin and rubbed my back. "Just breathe deeply, my love, breathe…" I was shaking violently, but I did not have the energy to sob. When it became apparent that I would not vomit, Mahado gently held me in his arms and rocked me back and forth. "You're shaking terribly… please be calm, my love…" he crooned.

"Atem… oh, Atem…" I whispered, tears streaming from my eyes. "By the gods… why?"

"Shhh… do not worry about the Prince," Mahado murmured. "You should only be worried about yourself."

"That bitch… Teana… may her Goddess strike her barren!" I cursed.

At this, Mahado searched my face. "What happened? What did you see?"

"She… bewitched… him…" I rasped, every word sending the pain of a thousand knives through me. "She took him… to bed… and I saw… every detail… burned into… my mind… the horror…" At this I couldn't say anymore, and collapsed against my husband, breathing heavily.

"By Thoth," he softly said, running a hand soothingly through my hair. "May the gods have mercy on us all. This makes matters more complicated…"

* * *

_Karim is breathing heavily, and one of the healers administers medicine to him. Teana sweeps into the room. "How is he doing?"_

"_He is recovering very slowly, my Queen. Your orders are being followed exactly. He will recover no sooner than the middle of the month."_

_Teana nods. "Good. See to it that he does not recover too fast." I feel my blood boil with anger as I realize that she is prolonging his recovery on purpose so as to keep Atem with her. If only I could reach out and slap some sense into that woman. How could I have believed that she was goodhearted? _

"_He will never love you!" I cry out, but alas, my words fall on deaf ears. _

_Meanwhile, Shada and Seto are exploring the library. Seto pulls out scroll after scroll, looking for a hidden compartment of some sort. They are soon interrupted by a librarian. "May I help you, my Lords?" she asks. _

_Shada stammers, but Seto quickly unfurls a scroll. "We were just browsing, my Lady." She remains standing where she is, and so Seto and Shada have no choice but to take their leave. Once they go, the librarian quickly makes her way to Teana's chamber, and I drift behind, following her in her wake. She says to the guards. "I must speak with the Queen immediately concerning a very important matter." They let her in. _

_Teana is mixing more of the love potion. "What is it, Tiye?" she asks. _

"_I caught the Lords Shada and Seto acting suspiciously in the library. I think they must be after the Spell-book."_

_Teana laughs mirthlessly. "Ah, so they must be on to me then. Well, no matter, they shall never find it, not without my help. Have no fear, Tiye, and let them search all they like!" _

_Yewera stands quietly by, but she gloats triumphantly. Teana turns to her. "Yewera, tell me again about your past, and how you came to be at the palace in Egypt." _

"_What does the lady Queen wish to know?" Yewera asks, feigning humility. _

"_Well, what I am most curious about is how you managed to steal the Millennium Spell-book, and why. Also, why were you exiled from the kingdom of the Two Lands?"_

_Hatred fills Yewera's face as she replied. "I was born in a village and served in a brothel, but then the Thief King raided my village and killed a good portion of my fellow villagers. I was one of the lucky ones, and I was rescued by the Prince and his men. The medical tent was full, and so I was taken in by one of the Sacred Guardians, the Lord Mahado. He took care of me and helped me to recover, and I, much against my wisdom, fell in love with him. That is, if you can call it love- I certainly lusted after him, but all he could care about was that simpering wife of his, the Queen Regent."_

_Teana's eyes widen. "Atem's sister!" _

"_The very same," she replies. "I hated that bitch! I tried to win Mahado over, but it wouldn't work. He found a place for me among the healers of the palace, and so I sought a way to seduce him and win his heart. But the head healer and the Queen Regent caught me, and soon after, I tried to poison the Queen Regent when she became with child. I thought that if she lost yet another child, Mahado would tire of her and see sense and set her aside. But that was not to be. I was caught, and the Queen Regent was so angry, she had me exiled. I sought revenge, and so I allied myself with the Thief King, telling him how he could get into the palace. While he invaded, I stole in and, with the help of one of the hekaus, I stole the Book from its hiding place and stole away. I knew how much your king yearned to be free of the yoke that binds him to Egypt, and so I came here, offering it to him."_

"_But… without the Book… what will happen to the country?" Teana asks. _

_Yewera laughs cruelly. "Egypt will die, and should that happen, Nubia will be free. The only way Egypt can survive is if one of royal and divine blood sacrifices his life for Egypt."_

"_But since Prince Atem is here… that means…" the Nubian Queen's eyes widen with horrow._

"_That it is the Queen Regent who is dying as we speak," Yewera finishes triumphantly. _

_Slowly Teana rises to her feet. "You didn't want to help us at all," she said, her anger rising. "You just wanted your rival dead!" _

_Yewera's eyes flash. "What is it to you what my motives were? Either way, you have the Book, the most powerful item in the world, and the man of your dreams under your spell. You owe me a great deal; you would not have managed to seduce him without my help! Your country stands ready to become one of the greatest kingdoms once Egypt falls! What more can you want?"_

"_I don't want the life of another on my hands," Teana says quietly. "I don't want the Nubians to come by more power through duplicity."_

"_Then you are foolish, my Queen," Yewera says harshly. "Your father understood that a ruler must be ruthless if he is to have power. All rulers have blood on their hands in one fashion or another. That is the price of kingship." _

_Teana's eyes narrow. "You forget your place. You dare to lecture me, the Queen of Nubia?"_

"_I am speaking as a friend, and as your confidante," Yewera replies evenly. "What good is that if I cannot speak the truth?"_

_She imperiously waves her hand. "Leave me, I wish to be alone." Yewera has no choice but to hold her tongue and bow respectfully before slinking away. Teana runs a hand over her face, and then she slips the finished love potion into a cup of wine. She makes to leave the room, but hesitates for a moment. "Maybe I should stop this," she says to herself. But then a hard look comes over her face, and, squaring her shoulders, she sweeps from the room._

* * *

I felt another rush of warmth to my chest, and opened my eyes to see Mahado leaning against the bed, breathing heavily. A sick wave of horror came sweeping over me as I saw that he appeared to be weaker and paler than when I had last been conscious.

"Mad! I thought… I told you… not to… give me… any… more… of… your… heka!" The initial burst of energy that came with the heka transfer was quickly fading away, and now it was all I could do to remain awake.

He tried to smile reassuringly, but I was not convinced by his feigned strength. "I had no choice, my love…" he began. "You've been spending the better part of a week being unconscious, and I wanted to see you open your eyes again. Isis tried to stop me, but alas, she is not here."

"But you can't… keep doing this…" I murmured, my eyes already becoming half closed.

"Oh, but I can, Jani," he replies fiercely. "It is my choice, and I can renew my heka in the Temple of Thoth. I will be fine, I assure you."

"But your month… of duty… is almost… over…" I rasped. "Once you can… no longer… draw… from there… you must… preserve… your… energy…"

"Do not worry about me," he softly replied as he kissed me. "I will do whatever it takes to prolong your life until your brother returns. Even if it means that I must die instead…."

"No…" I whispered, desperation creeping into my voice. "You mustn't… not for me… promise me… Mad…"

He shook his head firmly. "That is the one promise that I cannot make, my love. I love you too much to just stand by and let you die; I shall gladly surrender my life in exchange for yours."

Seeing that he would not be swayed from this, I fervently hoped that he would not discover the promise that I had extracted from Isis. I began to put away a tiny part of his given heka somewhere inside me so that when the time came, I would have enough strength to transfer it back to him and surrender my life.

* * *

_Teana is walking with my brother in a garden, wearing a slightly annoyed expression on her face. My brother follows along in her wake, mooning like a lovesick boy, and the sight of it makes me want to take him by the shoulders and slap that ridiculous expression off his face. _

_She settles down onto the bench with a huff, and Atem immediately notices this. "What shall I do to ease my lady's discomfort?" he asks eagerly. "Perhaps you want something to drink, perhaps? Or shall I compose a poem praising your beauty?"_

_"Forgive me, but you are not much of a poet," she replies rather frostily. "I would like to be left alone for a little while."_

_"Ah, please do not send me from you," he says with an exaggerated passion. "I shall not be able to withstand long without your light." _

_"It won't be long," Teana promises, planting a light kiss on his lips to indulge him. "I just wish to be alone for the moment." _

_Atem gives her a rather hurt look, but obliges her wish. Once he is gone, Teana rubs her temple with her forefingers. But only a short period of time passes before Atem's voice is heard intruding on the silence. "Do you wish my company now?"_

_"Go!" Teana screeches, losing patience. "I do not want to see you until the evening meal!" With that, he slinks away, and she hugs her knees, despondent. _

_Soft footsteps approach and Teana lifts her head, her eyes flashing. But then, seeing that it is only a priestess who has intruded, her anger dissipates quickly._

_"Pardon me, my lady Queen," the priestess says apologetically. "I did not mean to interrupt your private time alone."_

_Teana sighed. "You were not intruding at all; you have as much of a right to wander these gardens as I do. Please, continue on your way." _

_"Your mother, too, was fond of these gardens," the priestess gently says. "She would come here to meditate whenever she was troubled. I suspect you have come here to do the same? You are so very much like her."_

_Teana regards her for a moment before she warily nods. "I don't remember much of her; she died when I was very young. I wish that she had lived longer…" Suddenly, remembering herself, she presses her fingers to her mouth. "Forgive me for burdening you with my private sentiments," she says hastily. _

_"It is no burden at all. As one of the temple elders, I often counsel the younger acolytes when they are troubled, and they have all trusted me with the secrets of their heart. Just as I am there for them, I am also here for you, my lady Queen. As your reign is beginning, you may find yourself feeling anxious, so please, do not hesitate to seek my advice." _

_"Why does love have to be so painful?" Teana asks mournfully._

_"Ah, I see this is about your guest, the Egyptian Prince," the priestess says, taking a seat across from her without her leave. "You have fallen for him, but he does not return your feelings, and so you have bewitched him with a love potion. The whole court knows of it. But you must know, my lady Queen, that a love induced by an enchantment can only be an empty love."_

_"And already he is losing the essence of himself which I love so much!" Teana cries. "It's always about what I want, and what he can do for me. We never have any conversations anymore, and when I asked him to tell me more about his childhood and his sister, and the rest of his family, he even replied, 'What sister? What father? What home? My home is here with you, and the only family I need is you.'" Her tortured gaze drops to her hands. "I don't know what to do. I don't want him to go, and yet…"_

_"But he is no longer the Prince that you fell in love with," the priestess replies. "He has been transformed into your love slave. That is the only power of the love potion, but it is dangerous. If you keep him enchanted for much longer, then it will be impossible to restore him to his old self. And there may be a chance that he will become immune to it in the future, and what will happen then? You will incur his wrath. If you keep him here, then Egypt and his sister will perish, and he will never forgive you for that, and you will have her death on your hands for the rest of your life. You don't want that, do you?"_

_"No, I do not," Teana answers sadly. "If there was only some way to win him over so that he could stay here of his own free will!"_

_"You can try to persuade him, but you must set him free first," the priestess murmurs. "You must do what is right. It is not only your duty as the Queen, but it is also your duty out of love for him. If you truly love him, how can you trick him against his will?"_

_"You are right," she says resignedly, rising to her feet. "I will lift the enchantment. I thank you for your advice, priestess."_

_"It is always a pleasure to serve you, my lady Queen," she answers as she rises with her. She bows, and then goes her separate way. _

_Teana looks around her, sighs, and then makes her way to the medical wing. She enters Karim's room, where he is sleeping fitfully. Her hand hovers over his chest, and she murmurs an incantation. _

_"My lady Queen?" one of the healer interrupts. "Is something amiss?"_

_She turns to face him. "Nothing is amiss. See to it that the Lord Karim's condition is healed as quickly as possible."_

_The healer looks startled but quickly hides it and bows. "Yes, my lady Queen."_

She exits the room, and runs into Yewera in the corridor. "Forgive me, but I couldn't help noticing that you have decided to no longer prolong the Lord Karim's condition," Yewera says boldly. "What made you change your mind, my lady Queen?"

"_I can't keep doing this," Teana answers curtly. "I can't keep the Prince of Egypt here against his will; I will lift the enchantment from him so that he can return to Egypt. That is how it should be."_

_Panic momentarily flutters across Yewera's face. "Why this change of heart, my lady? Is it not your wish to keep the Prince here, with you for always?"_

"_It is my wish, but it is not how it should be. The enchantment is robbing everything about him that I love, and it is not right to enslave his heart in such a manner," Teana replies. "The right thing to do would be to try and win him over, without the help of the potion."_

"_Good luck with that," Yewera says derisively under her breath, but Teana doesn't appear to hear her. _

"_You will tell me how to reverse the potion's effects, Yewera," Teana commands. _

_Yewera holds her head up defiantly. "But what if I do not know of a concoction to reverse it? Or what if none should exist?"_

"_You lie," the Nubian Queen accuses coldly. "There is a way to reverse it; you just don't want me to do it right now because you want to ensure that the Queen Regent dies. Well, you shall not have your way."_

"_We shall see about that," Yewera counters haughtily. "Already three months have passed; if the Queen Regent is not dead already, she soon will be. Nobody can keep giving up their blood and heka for so long. Do what you will, my lady Queen, but you may already be too late."_

_Teana regards her angrily and then turns away. "In any case, I don't need your help. But you should be imprisoned for refusing to obey me. However, that is not in my nature. I will simply refuse to give him any more of the potion, and it will wear off." She walks away, and returns to her chamber. _

_A maid bows before her. "My lady Queen, we have prepared the wine for the Prince, as you ordered."_

_She silently nods and dismisses the maid with a wave of her hand. She takes the potion, and then empties it into a basin. _

_That night, during the feasting, Teana appears more subdued than usual. Atem is joking, causing all the other courtiers to laugh. Seto, who never laughs, manages a polite smile. _

"_Why the long face, my beautiful lady?" Atem asks gaily. "Are you not enjoying yourself? Perhaps a kiss will bring the light back to your face, hmmm?" _

_Amid many enthusiastic cheers, he pulls her close for a passionate kiss. Teana closes her eyes, reveling in what will surely be one of their last moments of such intimacy. She smiles to please him, but it does not reach her eyes. "That's better!" he exclaims, not noticing that the sadness in her eyes still lingers. _

_She rises, and the other courtiers do the same. "Leaving already, my lady Queen?" one of them asks quizzically. _

"_I'm feeling rather tired, so I shall withdraw. But please, feel free to enjoy the remainder of the feast," she replied smoothly. _

"_I shall escort you out," Atem says, wrapping an arm around her waist- a gesture not unnoticed by all present. They walk out amid whispers. _

"_Perhaps we should be focusing our attention on how to break the Queen's spell over him," Shada murmurs to Seto. For even if we do find the Spell-book, it will be useless if we cannot wrench the Prince from her grasp."_

"_In due time, Shada," Seto says. "I have a feeling that the Nubian Queen is tiring of the Prince in his besotted state. If that is not the case, then we will make it so." _

_Shada raises his eyebrow in question, but doesn't reply, gazing after the pair. _

_Teana sweeps past the guards to her own chamber, Atem in tow. The guards respectfully bow, their faces blank as if the presence of my brother is nothing out of the ordinary. Once they are confined in the privacy of the bedchamber, Atem roughly grabs Teana to him, his mouth crushing hers. She responds by opening her lips to drink in all of him, and quickly her hands find the clasps holding his tunic and kilt in place. Likewise, his hands have also found the clasps of her dress. They undress each other in a passionate frenzy before falling onto the bed. _

"_One last time…" Teana whispers, more to herself than to Atem as she straddles him. She leans over and kisses him as her hips begin their rocking rhythm, and he purrs his pleasure as she increases her speed. His hands reach out to fondle her breasts, but just as he almost reaches his pleasure, she abruptly slows down. He grunts in frustration, bucking his hips upwards to drive deeper into her. _

_Gods, do I really have to witness this a second time? It's just as disturbing as the first, and I feel myself being aroused as I watch this scene, feeling the familiar longing burning in between my legs. This should be wrong; how can I be aroused at the sight of my own brother making love to someone? Yet I can see that if I were not his sister, I would easily be besotted with him; already he has hard, lean muscles, and it is as if his body was sculpted by the gods. _

_She moves lower to expose his hard shaft, and lightly strokes it in circles. Atem moans in response, "Teana… please…" He can't bring himself to say anymore as she takes him into her mouth, licking it with long strokes, as wanton as a female cat. "Ohhhh…more…" he begs. Finally, when she deems that he's had enough begging, she mounts him again and rides him harder this time, rocking back and forth until he's positively screaming. Teana's body shudders with pleasure as she climaxes with him, and then she collapses on top of him. _

_As their breathing returns to normal, Teana wraps her arm tightly about him, "Atem… my love… please listen," she murmurs sleepily. _

"_Yes, my beautiful one?" Atem replies into her hair. _

"_I hereby release you from the spell; come tomorrow you will be back to normal. But please, remember this, remember us, and know that I love you with all my heart, and will do so for the rest of my days."_

_She waits, hoping for a reply from Atem, something that will tell her that he loves her as well. But my brother only murmurs something incoherent before falling asleep, and disappointment wells in her eyes. She kisses him softly before succumbing to sleep as well. _

* * *

"Lord Akhnadin!" Mahado's voice leapt with surprise. "What brings you here?"

"I came to see how my niece is doing; can a concerned uncle not check on his niece? Or are you admitting no one here besides yourself?" Akhnadin gently rebuked.

"Well, you haven't come until now, so I was merely surprised," Mahado answered. "She is fading away slowly day by day, I'm afraid."

"May I?" I heard Akhnadin approach and take my hand in his. I was too weak to do anything except lay there and let him. I couldn't even open my eyes so that he could see my loathing. He sighed. "Even if she is not conscious, I can still feel her recoiling from my touch. What I would give to have things different between us."

"I'm afraid that is no longer possible," my husband said gently. "She could never bring herself to forgive you for the slaughter at Kul Elna."

"No, it was not that. I believe that she was ready to try and see things from my point of view, but then I suggested that she seize the throne for herself and her unborn child. That, I believe, did the last straw. I should have known better than to suggest it to her so bluntly; she is so loyal to her brother." After a pause of silence, he continued slowly, "Ah, you share her sentiments, do you not, Mahado?"

"I must say, Akhnadin, any threat to the Prince is a threat to me," Mahado replied frostily. "I could not believe that you, of all people, would make such a suggestion."

"I was only pointing out to your wife that it would make more sense for her to seize power for her child than simply keep the throne warm for her brother. It's what any parent would want for their child if they were able to give it."

"But not me and most of all not Jani. If she could have her way, she would not be the Queen Regent."

"That is not what the gods decreed for her," Akhnadin said ruefully. "You know, Mahado, if it is what the gods will, that her life be sacrificed for the Two Lands, you must let her go. You cannot go against the gods; to do so is pure foolishness. And giving up your heka will not help her for much longer. If she does not have the ba, she will die nonetheless, regardless of how much heka she has. You would only be killing yourself in the process."

"I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand, Lord Akhnadin. I love her. Therefore, I cannot simply let her life slip away if it is my power to save her."

"But it is not in your power," Akhnadin said sympathetically. "Believe me, Mahado, I understand your pain."

"No you don't," he replied bitterly. "What can you know of the love between a man and a woman?"

"I loved someone too, once, a long time ago," my uncle said quietly. "But I had to sacrifice our love for the good of the kingdom."

"Therein lies the difference between the two of us. I would never sacrifice the love I have with Jani for anything."

"Not even the Prince, who is to be the Pharaoh?" Akhandin asked provocatively. "Tell me, Mahado, if you had to make the impossible choice between serving your king and fulfilling your vows and living in peace with your beloved wife, which would you choose?"

"I don't see how I would ever have to choose between the two," Mahado replies firmly.

"But believe me, the day may very well come when you will have to make that choice," Akhnadin warned before I heard his footsteps retreating.

* * *

_Atem wakes up in Teana's arms, and he bolts and scrambles out of bed with a yell. Teana wakes up with him, and he quickly grabs a cushion to cover his nakedness. Despite myself, I find that I am biting on my tongue so that I won't laugh at this scene. "What is this? Why am I sleeping in your bed? And why am I naked? And why are you naked?" Atem asks urgently. Then, suddenly, the realization and the memories come flooding back, and his face pales. "Oh Ra…" he murmurs. _

_Teana pulls the blanket around herself, blushing. "Atem… please let me explain…" she says haltingly. _

_In an instant Atem has a hand on her throat and presses her back. "What did you do to me, you witch?" he asks roughly. "You took my first night of manhood! It was not yours to have!"_

"_Can't… breathe…" Atem relents and lets go of her, and she rasps, "One of my handmaidens convinced me to give you a love potion. I was so in love with you, and I wanted to keep you here with me, and so I couldn't help myself… I'm sorry…. I couldn't keep deceiving you like this, and so I lifted the spell."_

_Atem turns away, hurt brimming in his eyes. "How could you, Teana? I trusted you, I considered you a friend! How could you do this to me? I didn't want you to be the first with me, I wanted…"_

"_You wanted that other girl to be your first," she finishes for him. Her voice hardens as she asks. "And what, pray tell, makes that chit so much more desirable than me? I am the embodiment of the Goddess! And you enjoyed every pleasure I gave you," she accused. "I know you did, you were positively moaning and begging as I rode you last night." _

"_But that was not me in my right mind; I was under the spell of the potion," Atem says pointedly. _

_Teana walks up to him so that they are face to face, and then she drops the blanket, revealing her lithe naked form. "I don't need the potion. Tell me, how can you deny that you desire this?" She steps up to him, so that her hard nipples graze his chest. "You can't deny that I am desirable; I can feel you hardening already." She shoves aside the cushion that he is holding between them and grasps his shaft in her hand. He gasps despite himself. "Stay with me," she tempted as she begins to stroke him, rubbing herself against him. "This whole kingdom could be yours, we could rule Egypt and Nubia together," she murmured. "You know you want to…" she leans forward to kiss him, sliding her tongue in between his lips. _

_Atem lets himself be absorbed in the moment, and kisses her back, but then he abruptly pulls away. "I don't doubt that you are a beautiful woman, Teana, and I am not immune to your charms, but I could never be fully yours. I do not love you. And any passion that you might have felt on my part just now was only lust." _

"_Lust can lead to love," she says._

"_No, it cannot. Please, if you care for me, give me the Book and let me return to my sister, before it is too late. What day is it?"_

"_It is the eighteenth day of the fourth month," Teana answers. _

_Atem gives a cry of pain at that, sinking to his knees. "NO! Jani! My sister…" His back shakes as he sobs. "It's too late…"_

"_What?" Teana asks stupidly. "What is too late?"_

"_She only had three months to live! I had three months to restore the Book to Egypt and save her! But it's already been three months! She could be dead for all I know!" He rises, his eyes blazing with anger. "This was your plan, wasn't it? You meant to keep me here until my sister died and you could take over Egypt and pick it like a ripe plum! You bitch! If you were not Queen of Nubia, I would kill you right here!" _

_Teana's eyes widen at the hatred in his voice. "It wasn't me! It was my handmaiden Yewera! It was she who brought the Spell-book here, and for some reason she wanted your sister dead."_

_Atem glares at her. "If you care for me, then you must do this for me."_

_She nods. "I would do anything for you." _

"_First, seize that whore you call your handmaiden, and chain her in the dungeons. I shall punish her by whipping her myself. Then give her death as you see fit. After that, return the Spell-book to me so that I may return to Egypt as quickly and possible. And see to it that Karim is healed immediately, I warrant that you have been prolonging his recovery so as to keep me here. All of this you must do so without delay." _

_Teana gulps, and then nods. "I will lead you to the Spell-book immediately," she whispers, bowing her head so that he can't see the tears filling her eyes. _

_His anger softening, Atem lays his hands on her shoulder. "I'm sure that you will find a man in the future who can give you the love you deserve," he says gently. "But I am not that man." _

"_I wish you were!" Teana cried, raising her eyes to meet his. "I have never felt this way about anyone, and I never will ever again!" _

"_You are young yet; your heart will heal in time," he said gently. Then, as if for courtesy's sake, he pulls her close and kisses her. She clings to him, kissing him with every bit of passion that she possesses. He lets the kiss go on for as long as she likes, and then gently pulls away. "I am sure of this," he said, smiling. "In the meantime, we shall remain friends and allies. I need you on my side; can you do that much for me?"_

_She nods, and wipes her eyes. "Well then, get dressed; I will take you and your advisors to the Spell-book. And you will find that Karim is already recovered."_

_Atem quickly dons his kilt, and she pulls on a dress. Then they make their way out of the bedchamber. Teana summons a guard. "Send for the Lords Seto, Shada, and Karim, and tell them to meet us at the hidden place." The guards bow and leave. _

"_So where did you hide it?" Atem asks. _

"_My father hid it, and he disclosed the location to me. I will show it to you soon. Follow me," she answers. They make their way down winding corridor after another winding corridor, until they arrive at a hidden chamber below the palace. _

_Shada, Seto, and Karim are waiting for them. "My Prince!" Seto exclaims. "Where were you? We knocked at your chamber last night, but you never answered!" _

"_He was with me," Teana answers, boldly holding his shocked gaze until Seto averts his eyes. _

"_My Prince… you didn't…" Shada gasps. _

"_He did, but it was not his doing," Teana says. "It was entirely mine, and he is not to blame. I will hold him to no obligation." She places a hand on the door and chants a spell. The door opens at her command, and she takes out the Millennium Spell-book. She hands it to Atem. "Forgive me for keeping it from you; I wanted you to recover first. Also, forgive us for holding it. I will see to it that your soldiers have enough provisions to get home."_

_Seto snorted, "Enough damage has already been done. Now we must try to prevent any more from being havocked."_

"_But it might be too late…" Atem says sadly. _

"_It's not," Karim says, and Atem looks at him in surprise. "Believe me, if Jasana was already dead, we all would be able to sense it. I have sensed nothing of the sort, and something tells me that she is still alive."_

"_Then there is no time to spare. We must return to Egypt immediately," Shada says. _

"_Not yet; there is something I still have to see to,"Atem says. "I want to punish the bitch Yewera with my own hands."_

_The door to the dungeon opens, and there Yewera is, in chains. She cowers at the sight of Atem, with a whip in his hand. His eyes glint with pure anger as he lets the whip loose, and there is a cry from her. Even though I loathe Yewera, I cannot bear watching this cruelty coming from my own brother. I once thought he was incapable of such a thing, but I see now that the war has wrought a change in him, and I cannot that I like this change. _

_He relentlessly lets the whip scourge her again and again, and finally, when she is badly bruised and bloody, he turns to go. "I hope you burn in Ammitt's stomach, bitch. And you shall not succeed in killing my sister. She is still alive, and will be for years after you are dead. Farewell." The door closes on Yewera's stunned eyes. _

_The palace is in a bustle as the servants do Teana's bidding. Atem strokes Sobek's nose before mounting. "Are you sure you want to leave so soon? Perhaps you could start in the morning so that we can have a feast in your honor?" Teana asks hopefully._

_Atem shakes his head. "I appreciate all that you have done, but I really must be on my way." _

_She appears disappointment but quickly hides it with a smile. "Best of luck in returning to Egypt then. May the Goddess watch over all of you," she blesses. _

"_And may she watch over you as well, Teana," Atem replies kindly before seizing the reins and galloping away, Shada, Seto, and Karim following close behind. Teana waits until they go before letting the tears fall. _

"_Jani, please, hold on. I'm on my way," I hear my brother murmur. "I just hope that I will not be too late…"_

* * *

I heard Lady Aseneit chanting a spell, trying to keep me alive. But my grasp was fading quickly, and I was ready to submit myself to death. "I'm sorry, my lord, but there is not much that I can do for her anymore. She will not last the night."

"No! It can't be! There must be something!" Mahado cried.

"Your heka has been the only thing keeping her alive, but you cannot continue giving heka. Your own life force will drain from you."

"That is a small price to pay," Mahado said stubbornly. He transferred more heka to me.

"My lord!" I heard a thud. "You cannot keep doing this! You will die by the end of the month if you do!"

"But I must…" he rasped. "How much time have I bought her?"

Lady Aseneit placed a finger on my heart. "I'm afraid it is in vain; if she does not have the ba, then your heka can do nothing, my lord. So please, save your energy and accept the inevitable. She will not last longer than another day at the most. Your heka can only prolong her own ba, but if there is no more ba left, then there is nothing more you can do."

"Thank you, Lady Aseneit," Mahado said stiffly, thus dismissing her. He cradles me in his arms. "Jani… stay with me, oh please, stay with me, my love," he begged.

With a great amount of effort, I opened my eyes. "Mad… my love…" I held his face in my shaking hands. "Please… kiss me… one last time…"

He obliged and kissed me with all of his passion. "It is not the last time, Jani," he said, trying to convince himself.

"But I'm afraid it is," I replied. "I'm tired… of holding on… but my brother… has the Book… is returning…"

Mahado's eyes lit up. "But that means that he will be here soon, Jani! Just hold on, a little bit longer, with more of my heka, you could-"

"No," I whispered. "You cannot give me anymore… you barely have enough… to sustain yourself…" I coughed, struggling for air, before continuing, "Please… Mad… let me go… it is time… know that I love you… with all my heart… I will see you… soon… my love…" With the remainder of my energy, I placed my hand over his heart and transferred back all of the heka that he had given me, which I had been storing away in a corner of myself.

"No! Jani! Stop!" Mahado cried, realizing what I was doing.

"Farewell, Mad…" I closed my eyes, and the last thing I heard was the heart-wrenching cry of grief coming from Mahado's lips as he held me close to him.

_I am flying through an abyss, and then a dark hall materializes around me. In front of me are a large pair of scales, and I realize that I am in the Hall of Judgment. The ibis-headed Thoth is standing in front of me. I bow my head. "My lord Thoth, I have come to be judged," I say, as is expected of me. _

"_No, you have not," a female voice says, and a magnificently dressed woman appears next to him. She doesn't need to be wearing the headdress for me to recognize her. _

"_Great Mother…" I murmur in wonder. _

"_You should not be here, my dear, it is not your time," Aset says. "Egypt still has need of you."_

"_But then, why am I here?" I ask. "What purpose do I have now, except to place my heart on the scales of Ma'at?"_

"_I should be asking you the same question," she says, somewhat bemused. "Your husband was keeping you alive with his heka, and yet you returned it to him and embraced death. Why did you? You still had a chance for life."_

"_But it would have robbed Mahado of his own," I said. "I didn't want that for him, to give his life instead of mine. It is my blood, my heka, and my ba that the Two Lands demands, is it not? That is what you needed to keep Egypt alive."_

"_Yes, but it was not my intention to let it come to your death, my little one." Aset's voice reminds me greatly of Mother's. "Your faith in me is admirable, and your willingness to sacrifice for Egypt is what saved you. I was indeed testing you, and you excelled."_

"_So, I will live?" I can scarcely believe this, and I feel an exultant joy throbbing at my heart- my heart, still very much alive, still beating within my chest. _

"_Yes, you shall. In fact, as we speak, your brother has returned, and he and Mahado have uncovered the Spell of Revival in Thoth's Book, which I have deciphered for them. Normally, such a spell would be impossible for you mere mortals to read. But then again, you are of my line, the Divine Line of my son, Horus. And for your valiant service to Egypt, I shall grant you your life back, as well as the answers to three questions which you may now put forth to me."_

"_I can ask anything?"_

"_Yes, but whether or not you will receive full answers or only cryptic ones will be at my discretion, but I shall answer them as is fit for what is best for you," the Mistress of Magic answers._

"_The ka battle, in which I appeared, and Father and Mother too- how in the world did you manage it?"_

"_I did nothing, Jasana. I merely gave you a little… assistance is all. Your concern, and your love for your brother did the rest. Two more questions."_

"_Will I ever have a healthy, living child?"_

_Aset's eyes, which are constantly changing from the brown of the soil to the azure of the House of Nut, meet mine sympathetically. "You will, Jasana. Have no fear on that. I apologize for the hardships you have endured, but you will have a living child in time. In fact, the House of Horus will continue through you."_

_I gave a little shudder at her insinuation that Atem will not have children. "What of my husband?" I whisper, hardly daring to ask the last question. "What will be his fate?"_

"_It is a sure sign of your love for him that you ask of his fate and not your own," Aset replies. "But beware, Jasana, for you may not like the answer I will give." _

"_I want to know anyway," I say quickly. _

_Aset's eyes meet mine with a great sadness. "You will lose him, just as I lost my love. He will die serving the Pharaoh."_

"_How will this happen?" I ask desperately. "When? How much longer do I have with him?"_

"_Alas, your three questions are up," she says ruefully. "And even if they were not, I cannot disclose more than that. What good will it do if you know when your husband shall die? It is better that you do not know, and cherish every day that you have with him. And remember that you cannot alter fate with dire consequences. It may be that you may be able to lure him away from his fate, but to do so will only bring disaster not only for the both of you, but for Egypt as well. Keep this in mind, and I am sure that I will come to you again, in your dreams, to warn you when the time nears."_

_In the distance, I hear my brother's voice. Mahado's voice also is calling out to me, pleading, "Jani, my love, please, come back to me…."_

"_I believe that is your cue," Aset says lightly. She comes closer, and places her hand over my heart. "Enjoy the days of your life left to you, Jasana. Cherish the company of those you love, and remember that each day is a gift from us. We will meet again when the time is right." And with that, her hand glows, and the warmth settles into my chest and diffuses throughout my whole frame, and everything disappears in a dazzling light…_

The warmth still lingered, but I was aware of the pain as well- a pain that told me that I was still very much alive. My eyelids fluttered, and I took in the faces of Mahado and Atem above me. "Atem… you're… back…" I rasp.

My brother lets out a huge sigh of relief. "It worked! Thank the gods the Spell of Revival worked!"

More footsteps come thundering in, and I hear Karim's voice. "But how? Most of the spells in the Book are undecipherable!"

"Aset must have been with us; it is only with her grace that we were able to read it straight from the Millennium Spell-book," Mahado replied. He gently kissed me, and held me close. "Jani… oh Jani… you've come back to me," he murmurs, a few tears of gratitude falling down onto my face.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please leave a review too! The semester is winding down for me, but that means that the work is piling up, so I don't know when I'll be able to update. It may be a good two weeks before I am able to do so. Please bear with me!**


	51. Recuperation

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh**

* * *

I looked around the small room, now emptied of all its contents, which had been packed away into trunks that the servants had already carried to the barge. I let out a little sigh, but one of relief, not sadness. I was glad to finally be going home. Settling down onto the chair, I smiled up at my husband as he came in to fetch me.

He knelt down before me and laid his head on my lap, wrapping his arms around my legs. "Did that little walk really take that much out of you, my love?" I teased.

Mahado grinned up at me. "I'm just relishing your presence is all, Jani." His eyes darkened with worry as he continued, "You know, you're still quite weak; you've barely just been able to get back on your feet. Perhaps we should wait a bit before moving you back to the palace…"

"For Ra's sake, Mad, I've been here long enough! I don't want to have to be here for another day! Besides, the barge has already been loaded, and it would not do to send it back now, would it?"

"I suppose not," he conceded. "Well then, at least let me carry you there." With that, he lifted me up in his arms, and I gently laid my head against his shoulder and looped one arm around his neck while placing another hand over his chest.

"Maybe you should send for a palanquin. You just barely recovered your strength yourself," I suggested, shuddering slightly as I recalled that he would have given up his life for mine in an instant if I had not thought of storing away his heka and giving it back to him.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied nonchalantly. "Besides, you hardly weigh more than a sack of grain, given how thin you still are."

"I warrant the cook will fatten me up in no time," I joked, bringing a bright smile to his face.

All too soon, Mahado stepped out into the sunshine, and I had to close my eyes, having been confined too long in the darkness of the temple. Slowly, my eyes adjusted to Ra's bright golden rays, and my ears were assailed with the cheers of the people who had come to wish me well.

"Aset bless thee, Queen Regent! May the gods smile on you for your sacrifice!" My heart swelled as my ears discerned various blessings among the din. I weakly waved to them as Mahado proceeded to the barge, gently placing me on a couch and propping some cushions behind my back, treating me as if I was a statue made of glass.

My brother was waiting for me at the dock at the palace, dressed very much as if he was Pharaoh already. Karim and Shada stood by, with a palanquin waiting. Atem spread out his arms towards me. "Welcome home, Sister," he said warmly.

"It feels so nice to be back," I replied softly, smiling at him and all the others who had come to greet me. I even managed to glance at my uncle in a friendly manner.

Karim signaled for the palanquin to be brought forward, but Mahado seemed reluctant to relinquish me. "I'm capable of carrying her myself, Karim," he protested.

"It's a bit of a walk to the palace, and I'm sure your arms could use a break," Karim lightly teased. "Come now, she'll be fine; it's not like the bearers are going to drop her."

At this Mahado's arms tightened. "Karim!" Isis scolded lightly. "That's hardly the way to convince him to let her go, by saying that the bearers won't drop her!"

"I was only joking! But seriously, Mahado, I think your arms could definitely use a break, and I'll be walking close by. Surely you would trust me with your wife, would you not?"

"You're not going to be walking any closer than I will be," Mahado replied as he laid me in the palanquin.

As we made our way inside, my eyes greeted everything about the palace that I had never bothered to notice before: the intricately carved columns, the brightly painted walls. I had taken them for granted, and now I wanted to reach out and run my fingers along the grooves of the carved hieroglyphs and press my cheek to the cool walls. I wanted to see the lotus garden again, but I knew that there would be plenty of time to reacquaint myself with my home. If I had my way, I would have gone straight to the stables and given Nephthys a big hug, but I knew that Mahado would object.

At the entrance to our chambers, Mahado took me in his arms once again, and the others retreated. "We'll see you at the evening meal tonight," Atem said. "It'll be a quiet affair; I won't push you to greet the rest of the Court until you are ready."

I nodded. "That would be wonderful, Atem. And you still have yet to tell me all about your time away from me."

Mahado swung the door to our bedchamber open with a flourish. "Welcome home, Jani!"

There was a loud bark, and Senupi came running, propping his forelegs on Mahado's leg in an effort to reach me. My husband set me down on the bed, and Senupi jumped on me. "Senupi!" I cried, hugging him and scratching behind his ears. "By the gods, I missed you! But now that I'm back, I demand my pillow back; you can go back to stealing Mahado's." Mahado let out a sigh at this, and I giggled.

"That is perhaps the one thing I will miss about you being back," he teased, "having my pillow to myself. But I will gladly fight Senupi for my pillow if it means having you in my arms again. Now back off, Senupi, you are in my place." He gently swiped our dog away with his arm and came crawling on his hands and knees towards me. He bent his head down to kiss me, and I pulled him down on top of me, opening my mouth to him and letting my hands rove all over his body.

He abruptly pulled away. "What's wrong, Mad?" I asked, panting and already feeling myself getting slick with my desire.

"Nothing, it's just… I think we should wait until you are a bit stronger before we make love," he murmured.

"But I'm perfectly fine!" I protested, pulling him back towards me. "I want you, now!" With that, I plunged my hand underneath his kilt and grasped his shaft, which immediately leapt up to meet my hand. He gasped at my fierceness. "Just try to resist me now," I whispered, beginning to stroke him slowly.

"Oh, to Ammitt with being careful!" he groaned as he hastily removed his tunic and kilt and tore my dress off.

But then, we heard a knock at the door, and we froze. "Yes? What is it?" I called out, biting back my frustration at the interruption.

"Pardon the intrusion, Your Majesty, but the other Guardians and lower viziers are quite anxious to welcome you back. The Prince requests your presence in the throne room."

"Can this not wait?" I asked exasperatedly.

"Er… I could say that you are preoccupied at the moment, Your Majesty," the servant replied through the door.

"Never mind, we shall go," I said with a sigh, quickly grabbing the dress that Mahado had removed just moments before and handing Mahado his kilt and tunic. "Just give us a moment, and we shall be ready."

I quickly went to the mirror to smooth my hair and apply more kohl to my eyes. Mahado came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me, and I reached back to wipe away a streak of smeared kohl from his eye. "A little flustered, my lady wife?" he asked mischievously.

"I don't like being deterred from something I really want," I replied.

He chuckled. "Oh, but you are only being deterred until tonight, that is," he said. "Imagine being deterred for three months! That's what I've been going through. Well then, it would not do to keep them waiting for much longer, or else we might as well stay here and let them guess what we've been doing." With that, he swept me up in his arms.

"Put me down, Mad!" I ordered. "I can walk by myself!"

"I don't want to take any precautions, Jani," he explained tenderly. "Let's just take it one step at a time to regain your heka and your strength."

"Fine," I relented. As we made our way out of our chambers, I grinned wickedly and finished, "You know, I could probably get used to this…"

* * *

"I declare, it seems that your husband is a hundredfold even more in love with you, if that's even possible!" Aramen's voice rang out, preceding her into my anteroom.

I laid my scroll aside and made to get up, but she quickly enveloped me in an embrace before I had the chance to do so. "Aramen! It's wonderful to see you again! And how is the little one? When is he due to arrive?"

"In a little over a month," she replied. "Now, let me get a look at you. By Aset, you're still miserably thin, and I had to practically twist your husband's arm in order to be able to visit you. He's guarding you like a sentinel jackal."

I laughed. "He has been fawning over me a bit much since my return. He insisted that I stay confined to our chambers for at least a week. But I think it's because he's really appreciating me, given how close I came to actually dying. I know that I appreciated him a lot more when he was attacked."

"Well, now that the uprising has been taken care of and the Prince is back and you are on your way to recovery we can all start breathing again," she said lightly. "The people are back to their crops, which have miraculously begun to flourish again, and everything is as it should be."

"Yes," I said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Now, if the gods will it, we shall all have a measure of peace for once. It seems like there's always been some sort of crisis or another ever since I came to the throne for my brother."

"Indeed, I must say there has been more than a fair share of danger in these past few years," Aramen agreed.

"But I sense that somehow this is only the beginning… and in the end, this danger will engulf my husband…" I gave a little shudder, thinking of what Aset had told me.

"Nonsense, I'm sure there's nothing to worry about!" Aramen said soothingly. "I worry a bit for Semni too, but when I find myself enslaved by such sentiments I usually tell myself that I'm being ridiculous, which is what he also says when I tell him."

"Oh, but I think I'm not being ridiculous at all," I replied, and I proceeded to tell her of my brief time at Amenti. "…And the last question I asked her was what Mahado's fate would be, and she said that I would lose him, and that he would die serving my brother! But she wouldn't tell me when!"

Aramen's eyes widened at this. "Did you tell him of this?"

I shook my head. "No… how could I possibly? When I told him of this, I lied and told him that the last question I asked concerned my brother's fate, and that she wouldn't answer my question. I don't want to worry him."

"Well, if you don't want him to worry, then you also should not worry about this yourself, Jasana," she advised. "The only thing you can do is just to enjoy every moment you have with him.

Senupi abruptly lifted his head up, as if he heard something. My brother came sailing in, and then checked upon seeing Aramen. "I'm sorry if I'm intruding, I can come call on you some other time," he said apologetically.

"Nonsense! We were just finishing up here," Aramen replied blithely. "In fact, I was going to call on Lady Aseneit next for an inspection. I shall leave the two of you to catch up." With that, she got to her feet and waddled out.

Atem took the seat that she had vacated, and I smiled at him. "What brings you here, Brother?"

"I came to see how you were doing, and I figured that you could use some company. I also came because I missed Senupi." At this, my dog leapt up into his lap and curled up contentedly. I made a mental note to find Atem a pet of his own for his Naming Day, which was tomorrow. _I had better act fast_, I thought to myself.

"I could use a little company; I have been rather lonely in here," I conceded. "Besides, you have yet to tell me the real story of the campaign and your stay in Nubia," I added.

He raised an eyebrow innocently. "The real story? I don't know what you're talking about."

I looked at him pointedly. "Oh come on, surely you don't mean to say that you and Seto and the others got back the book without any trouble, or you would have come back a lot sooner, and you left out a lot of detail about what happened in that time frame."

"But how do you know this?"

"Well… when I was unconscious, somehow my spirit was able to fly out of my body and to wherever you are."

"But if that's the case, then you don't need me to tell you anything, because you already know everything that happened!" he protested.

"Well, try me. I saw what happened, but I want it with your commentary," I replied. "For starters, tell me about that duel of yours with the Nubian king. I only saw the ending part."

An unusual frown creased my brother's face. "I don't like to remember that part of it. That was by far the hardest and worst ka battle I had to go through. We were doing well at first, but one by one Seto, Shada, and Karim fell, and so did his mages, until it was just he and I standing. Then he summoned the Mythic Dragon, and I thought for sure that I was going to lose. Then somehow…" he paused at this, looking at me.

"Somehow… what?" I prompted.

"You appeared, and Father too! And… _and I saw Mother_." At this point, his voice was barely above a whisper. "All three of you came together and lent me your strength, and with that I was able to defeat him. By Ra, Mother was as beautiful as I imagined her to be! And I'm sure that she was every bit the woman that you've told me so much about. After that, I fell unconscious, and from my understanding, I was unconscious for half a month. It was a full month before Teana let me out of bed to walk about."

"Tell me more about the Nubian Queen Teana," I said, doing my best to conceal the edge in my voice. "I've heard reports that she was a gracious hostess and a great beauty."

He shrugged. "Oh, she was, but not nearly as beautiful as you, Sister."

I laughed. "Don't think I'm jealous of her! But I'm not exactly inclined to think of her favorably after what she did, enslaving you with a love potion like that. If she had her way, she would have taken you from me and never given you back!"

Atem turned crimson. "So you know about that? Do you also know about… about…" He was obviously too embarrassed to continue.

"I know nothing more than that," I lied. "That is why I'm now asking you to tell me more about it."

"Well… she was indeed very beautiful, and very kind. She gave me an amulet to strengthen my heka in my battle against her father, and I would not have lasted half as long as I did without her help. She nursed me back to health, hardly ever leaving my side except for when her duties called her away. She was nice, and our conversations reminded me a great deal of my talks with you and Mana. I won't deny it; I thought her charming, of course, and every bit the woman that a noble queen should be. But…"

"But… what?"

"She isn't Mana," he replied quietly. "I know that I didn't really resist her charms, and I even kissed her back. A part of the reason why that spell worked so well was because I did find myself falling a bit in love with her, but never truly could I have given her my heart. I tried to tell her this, but apparently she wouldn't listen, and gave me the love potion. I should have seen something like that coming. As for the rest, I believe you know what happened. And now I don't blame you at all for sending Yewera away. In fact, I wish that you had killed her outright. Then maybe this whole mess wouldn't have happened…"

"What's done is done," I replied. "There's no use wishing that things happened differently, because we cannot alter the past. But now that you are back, things should get back to normal."

"Until the next danger comes around," he said wryly.

"Ah, so you have noticed that there has been a rather high amount of chaos since I came to the throne in your stead," I said, giving a little chuckle.

"Yes, but I must say, if I could send a message to our enemies, it would be for them to come and just try to wreak havoc! I will send them all running!" He rose to his feet in excitement.

I blinked in surprise. "You actually _like_ having all this going on?"

"Well… while I'm certainly not saying that I actively seek out the excitement and danger, I must say that I don't have objections to it. It's kind of fun to vanquish our foes," he said, a roguish grin spreading across his face.

"But I, on the other hand, do not find it amusing and fun to constantly worry about you and the others," I said firmly. "I, for one, could do with a little bit of peace and quiet for a change."

My brother smiled sweetly. "I can assure you, Jani, that when I become Pharaoh, you shall have all the peace in the world. I shall secure it for you."

"But don't go actively seeking out the enemy just for the sake of securing peace!" I exclaimed.

"We'll see about that when the time comes," he said demurely. I shook my head. Of course I should have known that at nearly fourteen years old and coming into manhood, he would be excited about going into battle and proving his prowess.

"Really, Brother, I'm sure that by now you have amassed quite the reputation for yourself; surely all the noble girls must be swooning over you already and vying for your attention."

Since I had meant for that to be a compliment, I was a bit taken aback to see his frown. "I wish they would just leave me alone. It's so distracting to have ladies swooning over me at every corner."

I chuckled. "You had better get used to it, because it will come with wearing the crown, being young, and being handsome. Is my brother being shy? I would think that you would enjoy this attention from the ladies."

He smirked. "Well… it is a bit flattering, I suppose. But I don't like it when they hang around me constantly, and when they intrude when I just want to be with Mana. And I see the jealous glances they give her… it worries me, Sister. Could you do me a favor?"

"Of course, what is it?"

"Could you keep an eye on Mana, and protect her?"

"I don't think she really needs protecting, Atem."

"But I do. I know that ladies can be vicious. Just… be on your guard, pretty please? I can't protect her all the time."

I gave him a long look. He was so earnest, how could I have refused such a request? "Very well, Atem. I'll see what I can do. Is there anything else?"

"Yes, there is. I want you to promise me something."

"If it is in my power to do so, then I certainly will."

"Do not make me marry against my will."

I was sure my mouth hung open in surprise. "I couldn't do that, Atem! Your choice of queen will be up to you to make, and you only, when you become Pharaoh."

"You know as well as I that my choice will have political consequences, and has to be approved by the Guardians and the lower viziers. And they may try to persuade you to force me to marry while you are still the ruler of the realm so as to secure the inheritance of the throne. Please, Jani, don't make me marry someone against my will. They will parade their own daughters and nieces before me, and try to get you to force me to marry one of them."

I held my arms out to Atem to pull him into a hug. "I promise to Aset, I will let you choose your wife when you become Pharaoh, and I will do all that I can to make sure that you marry the love of your heart and no other."

"Good," he said, his voice muffled against my clothes. Pulling away and glancing at the sundial, he said ruefully. "Now I have to go and meet with Shimon. He's briefing me on all the ceremony that will take place tomorrow."

"Dear Aset, are you turning fourteen already?" I teased. "It seems to me that it was just yesterday when you were barely turning five, playing with all your toys and throwing a wooden figurine against the wall when it bored you!"

"I did no such thing!"

"Oh, but you did," I rejoined, ruffling his hair. "You just don't remember because you were too young."

He pouted. "I wish that I had some embarrassing memory of you, but I do not."

"That's the perk that comes with being the older sibling," I laughed. "If only I could be there to celebrate with you."

"But Mahado insists that you're still recovering," he said. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to come and greet you in the afternoon, and I will make sure to send you all your favorites for your dinner."

"And come by after the feast; I will be sure to have your present by then," I replied.

"You mean you don't have it already?" he teased.

"I've been stuck in here, remember. But don't worry, you'll like this one." My lips curved into a smile as I planned to ask Mahado to do my hunting for me, if he would not let me do it myself.

"Of course I will," he replied blithely. "Have I ever not liked anything that you have given me?"

* * *

I reveled in feeling Shu's cooling breath against my face and basked in the glow of Ra's dying rays. Finally, after a lot of begging and nagging, Mahado had agreed to take me on a walk along the Nile.

"It feels so nice out here!" I sighed, leaning against his arm. "If I had to spend another day indoors, I would have gone mad!"

"And I would never want that to happen," my husband concurred.

"So is that why you've finally set me free?" I mischievously asked.

"I wanted to make sure that enough of your strength has returned," he replied tenderly. "I don't want you overexerting yourself and fall ill again."

"I wasn't ill at all!" I argued. "I had simply given up my blood and my heka to the land; it was my own doing."

"But even so, illnesses can set in at such a time of weakness, and I don't want to take any chances. You've been given another chance at life, but such chances are not lightly given."

"Well, I knew that Aset would not let me die, and see what came of my faith in her?" I replied lightly.

"Indeed," he agreed, wrapping his arm about my waist and giving me a light squeeze.

"So, where did you manage to find the puppy for Atem, and on such short notice?" I asked curiously. Following my request, my husband managed to find a dog for my brother, and one that bore such a striking resemblance to Senupi, it was my guess that he had found one of his siblings.

"I pulled a few strings," he said mysteriously, "and found the same dog breeder that had bred Senupi."

"Aha, so the two dogs _are_ siblings. I knew it!"

He smiled at me. "It was only fitting to find one of Senupi's brothers or sisters for your brother, and I couldn't think of anywhere else to go, since you only gave me a day to find a puppy for him."

"Well, I would have given you more time to look, but I had just thought of it when Atem came to visit me the day before his birthday," I said sheepishly. "And he seems to be thoroughly delighted with her; he has decided to call her Dejet."

"So now you can have Senupi to yourself," he observed, "although I think I defeated the purpose when I found her; the two of them are practically inseparable!" Indeed they were; they were usually found in either Atem's rooms or mine, both of them as attached to each other as Geb and Nut must have been before their father separated them (1).

"That was my intention in finding Atem a dog of his own," I admitted. "But I think it's good for Senupi to have a companion too, so that he is not too lonely during the day."

Mahado looked at me. "You're not going to be returning to your duties already!"

"Why not?" I countered, stiffening at the tone in his voice. It was as if he was the ruler and not me.

"You're still recovering! You still need plenty of rest!" he insisted. "And your brother is managing affairs beautifully on his own already."

"But I am still the Queen Regent," I said firmly. "And the first moment I am able to, I will return to the throne room. You can't keep me confined to the chambers forever, Mad. The danger is past already, and the sooner I can settle back into my regular routine the better. You're already back doing your duty, and it is high time I return to mine."

"But…" Mahado's worried eyes pierced mine.

My irritation dissipated as I saw how concerned he still was. I gently cupped his cheek with a hand. "My love, please, it's been half a month already, and I feel that it is time to return to my life- to really return, not to simply watch it pass me by. Now that I am fully alive again, I want to savor every minute, and to make the most of all the time that I still have left here. That is what you would do to, is it not?"

"Yes, I suppose so," he conceded as he pulled me close to him and buried his face in my hair. "But still, I can't completely shake off the image of you, your life fading away, and you breathing your last in my arms- you have no idea the agony I went through when that happened, and the miracle of your life being restored to you…."

I pressed my cheek to his chest and inhaled the scent of him. "I know," I murmured.

He began to steer me away from the river, back to where Nephthys stood waiting patiently, grazing at the reeds that grew along the banks. Mahado still had yet to let me ride her by myself, and this was the first time that I had ridden her since the ordeal at the temple. "Come, I think we've done enough walking."

"But it seems like we just got out here!" I protested.

"Let's just take it one step at a time," he pressed gently. "Each day we will walk a little further, for a little longer. We need to gradually let your strength come back; it will not do so all at once."

I opened my mouth to protest, but I glanced to where my mare was waiting for us. As if she could sense my silent question, she gave a little nod, as if to say that she agreed with my husband. I sighed and let Mahado help me onto her back before he mounted himself. He gave a soft cluck and she began to pick her way back to the stable yard.

"Since you've agreed so willingly, I think we can dine in the banquet hall with everyone else tonight," he murmured into my ear. "Everyone is most anxious to have you back, and their patience is wearing thin; I probably couldn't keep you from them for much longer even if I tried."

I turned my head towards him. "That's hardly compensation for my cooperating so quietly," I pouted.

"After the banquet you will receive your true reward," he replied seductively, running his hands down my sides.

I smirked. "Now _that_ is more what I had in mind."

* * *

I drummed my fingers on the fine brass railing of the chariot, silently urging the horses on, even though Mahado already had them going at a full gallop. We pulled up to Semni and Aramen's villa, and he stepped down before holding his hand out to me. Aramen had given birth to her baby a couple of weeks early, but her son was reportedly fine and healthy, although a bit small. She, Semni, and Mahado had thought that it was best not to send for me, since I was still recuperating, but Mahado had assured me that Isis and Lady Aseneit were on hand and had everything under control. Even so, I was a bit disappointed that I had not been able to be there, and wasted no time in getting Mahado to take me to visit them.

The servants bowed and showed us into the reception room. Aramen and Semni were waiting for us, and Ankhseheret, who just had celebrated her first Naming Day, came tottering towards us on her unsteady feet. I smiled and swept her up in my arms, and Mahado gently chucked her under her chin, and her laugh rang through the room. "My goodness, Ankhseheret! You're already growing so quickly!" I exclaimed.

I handed her to her father and settled down next to Aramen. "And here is the newest one," she said as she handed the bundle over to me. "Semni chose his name this time: Iluy."

"A fine name for such a fine boy," Mahado said, looking down at him. "It's a miracle that he's so strong and healthy, given that he was born early."

"It is indeed," Semni agreed. He laughed as he continued, "You should have seen me when Aramen first told me that her pains were coming. I thought that she was joking or that I was dreaming, and then when I realized that it was real I was beside myself with anxiety."

"I almost had to slap some sense into him," Aramen added. "Thank Aset that Meret was here and immediately went to fetch Lady Aseneit and Isis, and Semni calmed down."

"I'm sorry that I couldn't be here," I said softly.

Aramen gently laid a hand on my arm. "Don't worry; I'm sure that you will be here for the next one."

"Just how many more children do you intend to have?" Mahado asked.

"As many as possible," Semni answered, a big grin spreading across his face. "We simply can't get enough of each other."

"I'm sure that you'll change your mind when you have so many little ones running around underfoot; they'll exhaust you!" I teased.

"Well, we'll see how it goes," he replied. "You know that many children succumb to illness at a young age. So the more we have, the more will survive into adulthood."

Aramen gave a little shudder and clutched her son closer to her. "Semni!" she cried. "May the gods overlook your careless statement!"

"Peace, my love," he comforted, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "I did not mean to distress you; I was merely stating a sad but true fact. But surely our children will all be healthy, gods willing." He turned to me. "So, has Mahado released you from your confinement yet?" he teased.

"Just barely several days ago," I answered. "He's finally let me ride Nephthys again, albeit at a walk only, and only if he is around."

"But at least you're making steady progress to getting your strength back," Mahado pointed out. "Now it's only a matter of time before you can start practicing your heka again."

"I can't wait for that," I said with a sigh. "Lady Aseneit has been most helpful, giving me a concoction to speed up the process of restoring my heka back to its full level. But by Ra, it's so bitter! I shall be glad when I am fully back to normal and don't have to take such ill-tasting potions."

The rest of the journey to recovery was slow and painful. Every day I insisted on prolonging my exercise, pushing my muscles to their limits, and every night I would fall into bed completely exhausted. Slowly but surely, I became adept in the saddle again, and I regained my fighting and archery arm. It was only once I had these back that I began to practice my spells again, and I did not begin until akhet was well under way. I had insisted on returning to the throne room, and it seemed that even with sharing the duties with Atem, more petitioners were waiting for me than ever before. A good number were just people who simply wanted to see me and praise me for my sacrifice, and although I was flattered, I was also irritated at this waste of my time. Yet I hid my frustration beneath my smile and acknowledged them before waving them away.

During one of the meetings with the lower viziers, Lord Amunhotep brought up the subject that I had been dreading. "My Queen, I must speak up on a matter concerning the Prince."

Ever since Atem had mentioned it, I had been hoping that this conversation would never happen. "Proceed, Lord Amunhotep."

He cleared his throat. "As you know, in less than a year's time he will be of an age to take his place on the Horus Throne. By tradition, a Pharaoh normally chooses a queen at the time of his coronation, or within a year of being crowned. I suggest that you seal his betrothal right now, while you are still the ruler of Egypt."

I bristled at the forwardness of his suggestion but held my tongue. "And who, pray tell, shall I betroth my brother too? There is a particular lady you have in mind, do you not? Someone who shall bring you more power as Queen of Egypt."

Lord Amunhotep stammered. "Th-that is not my intention, my Queen. But I do know of an exceptional young lady who would fit the role well: my niece, Meryetamun."

"On the contrary, I must object and say that my daughter Teraset would be the better wife and Queen," Lord Sep-u-khamen interrupted. I nearly laughed out loud at the ridiculous thought: my brother marrying a woman who was almost my age, and one that I despised at that.

The three viziers broke out into an argument over which of their various nieces and female relatives should have the honor until I stood up and shouted over them. "Enough! It is not for you men to say who should become my brother's wife. Nor is it for me to decide. My brother is perfectly capable of choosing his own wife, and that he shall do when the time is right."

"We may not agree on who should be the future Queen of Egypt, but we all agree on one thing: if Your Majesty does not choose for the Prince, then he will most certainly choose an unsuitable girl, that peasant Mana."

"She is hardly a peasant, my lord Wasithosef," I said sternly.

"Nevertheless, she is not suitable to be the future Queen," he replied steadily.

"And, pray tell, why not?"

"There is not enough noble blood in her veins. Shall the line of Horus be corrupted by common blood? It will weaken the throne in the future! And such a thing must not happen."

"I must protest- Mana is a very well brought-up girl. She grew up in the court, and is just as well-trained as any of the noble girls, perhaps even more, since she is training to be a _hekau_, which is a more useful way of spending her time than many of the other girls, including your own." Indeed, the three viziers had kept their daughters from any useful learning, thinking it to be below them. "If my brother should choose her, I see no problem with this at all."

"But my Queen! You cannot seriously condone such a friendship! Think of what it would say of your authority, that you allow the future Living Horus to cavort with that chit!"

"I believe my authority will be unaffected by the actions of my brother," I replied coolly. "And I will have you remember that I am not Queen in my own name, but in his. It is his name that will appear in the king list, not mine. Mine will only appear under his as the regent."

"You will corrupt the line of Horus!" Amunhotep shouted.

I rose to my feet. "You forget to whom you are speaking, Lord Amunhotep!" I snarled. "Mana is just as noble as my husband. Do you dare to suggest that I myself am corrupting the Horus line? Go ahead and say it again, and see if by tomorrow you are still a vizier of my court!"

He glared at me for a second, and then lowered his gaze. "My most humble apologies, my Queen. But I must advise you to consider our words."

"And that I will do, I assure you," I replied imperiously. Waving my hand to dismiss them, I finished, "Now if you are done with this idle chatter, shall we discuss some more important issues at hand? Or if there are none, then leave me so that I may make a better use of my time than arguing with you three."

* * *

With a loud grunt, I ran towards Karim at full speed, and swung my sword. The two swords met and clashed with a loud _clang!_

"Come on, is that the best you can do?" he taunted playfully. "Maybe Mahado was right in that you shouldn't be exerting yourself too much." That was enough to get me to double my efforts. Finally, with a loud yell, I managed to knock his sword out of his hand and had mine pointed at his neck. "I see you haven't forgotten too much," he noted. "All you needed was a little extra incentive."

"But you went easy on me," I accused.

"I did no such thing!" he protested as he grabbed a towel from a waiting servant and wiped the sweat off his brow. "I'm definitely in the mood for a refreshing bath and a massage. Now, as to which of the fine maids will get that pleasure…" He stroked his chin pensively.

I laughed and playfully elbowed him in the ribs. "Still playing at being the ladies' man, are you?"

He grinned nonchalantly. "Come now, Jasana. I'm a single man; I can have a little fun choosing which maid will have the honor of massaging my body."

"Indeed, they must all be vying for the task," I said sarcastically. "Who wouldn't want to massage a body that could've been sculpted by the gods?"

"More like a body that was just sculpted from hours of exercise and hard work," Mahado said. I froze and whipped around to face him, but he was choking back a laugh, and I immediately relaxed. "Careful, Jani," he warned jokingly as he pulled me towards him. "If any of the courtiers had passed, you would have set their tongues wagging at that remark. By nightfall, rumors would have spread like fire that you were flirting with my best friend!"

"Oh please, they will start a rumor over anything. Have you heard the ridiculous one about you and Mana?" I replied as I wound an arm around his waist and let my hand slide down ever slightly lower to grope a buttock.

He chuckled. "Oh yes, where I'm having an affair with her. That's the most outlandish yet. But someone's always around when I'm giving her lessons."

Karim approached us. "So, what brings you here, Mahado? Come to steal your wife away from me?"

"Actually, I was sent to summon the both of you to the throne room. A letter has just arrived, and one that requires immediate attention. The other Guardians are waiting, and so is Shimon and the Prince."

I felt a sense of dread settling over me. "But what can it be? Something tells me that it can't be good."

"Indeed it isn't, I'm afraid. It comes from Nubia."

I gaped at him. "Nubia? What could Nubia possibly want from us?" In my mind, I altered the question to _"What could Teana possibly want from us, particularly, Atem?"_

Mahado led us into the throne room, and I quickly found my way to the Horus throne. "Brother," I greeted, "you sent for us?"

"Yes. I have received a letter from Queen Teana in Nubia."

It was all I could do not to let out an exasperated sigh. "And?"

"She requests our assistance as soon as possible. Nubia is under siege from bands of raiders from Ethiopia. They have ravaged many villages along the southern border and are making a beeline for the capital as we speak. The army has been neglected over the years, and they are no match for the raiders."

I took the letter that he handed to me and perused its contents. "It's addressed to you. As official correspondence, should she not be writing to me as the Queen Regent?"

"I suppose she doesn't know about such protocol," he replied, "and she is more familiar with me. She did mention you though."

I fought the urge to turn his remark into a sexual joke. That wouldn't have been exactly regal of me. "So it does; it asks you to intercede to me on her behalf."

"Well then, with your permission, I will lead the expedition into Nubia."

"Must you really?" I protested. "Not when you just returned from there? I think sending our best generals will suffice."

"I will gladly go on behalf of the Prince," Karim said, stepping forward. Isis started and made to say something, but kept silent.

Seto stepped up. "I couldn't think of letting Karim have all the fun."

I turned towards Atem. "Please, Atem. Please stay here and just let them go. Why should you go to the aid of Nubia yourself? Let the generals send your good wishes for you."

"Perhaps the Queen Regent has a good point, my Prince," Shimon said.

"But what would I do here in Egypt if I'm not there on the front?" he whined. Finally, seeing the look on my face, he replied. "I will think on it, Sister, and I will carefully consider what you said. That is all that I can promise."

I nodded. "Please do," I said softly. It seemed that Atem had just returned, and between our duties, I could not have spent enough quality time with him. He often liked to spend his free time with Mana and other nobles closer to his age, and I could not blame him for that. My reasons for wanting him at home were not completely unselfish though; I knew that if he went, it would be great incentive for Mahado to go, for wherever my brother went, he usually followed, and I didn't think that I could bear having my husband away for an indefinite amount of time. Once was already hard enough. And the fact that they would be facing danger was not comforting, even more so now that Aset had told me that I would lose my husband and that he would die serving my brother.

* * *

"I honestly don't see why we should have to be the ones to take care of those Ethiopian pests," I complained to my brother during a rare moment alone. We were out riding by the river. "She is the Queen of Nubia; this should be her problem to deal with."

"But she is young; she is hardly a few months older than me, and she is rather inexperienced. She doesn't have your training or your good sense, Sister," Atem said defensively. "It was expected that she would marry and her husband would rule for her. But I killed her father, and so that plan never materialized."

"Oh I see. You feel guilty for killing the king," I said shortly. "Well, it was his fault for challenging you and for taking the Book. You have nothing to feel sorry for."

"It was not him; it was Yewera," he replied. "He simply accepted it."

"Still, you only did what you had to. He would have killed you if you had not acted first," I said.

"But what would I do here instead?" he objected, looking down at the reins in his hands.

"Plenty, Brother," I answered, taken aback. "You could overlook more of your duties, practice your skills, and such."

"But there's no better practice than the real experience of the battle field," he argued.

"By Ra, are you really so restless that you are eager for more fights?" I asked.

He didn't answer but looked out across the broad expanse of land next to the Nile. The inundation was good this year, and many of the fields were flooded. He let the silence stretch until he finally said quietly, "Nubia is our vassal, Jani. As its protector, we have a responsibility to answer whatever call, be it great or small. As the representative of Egypt, it is my job to lead the way. You must stay here and oversee matters on the home front, but since you are here to take care of that, it is up to me to lead the men. This is the least we could do in exchange for the goods that they provide us with. Besides, many of the Nubians are in our army, which explains why their forces are no match for the raiders."

"But that still doesn't make it easier for me."

He turned towards me and smiled gently. "I know, Sister, but you have to let me go. There are other young soldiers who are itching for another campaign, and I won't deny that I am eager to join them. You have no idea of the rush and thrill that comes from charging into battle, and the feeling of having won your first victory. There is nothing like it."

"But still, I think any unnecessary killing should be avoided," I warned. "These are men, just like our own. They also have families back home waiting for them: wives, mothers, and children."

"I try to spare as many lives as possible, but I can't stop the other bloodthirsty men, even if I give orders. There are just too many of them."

"Well, as long as you return safe and sound, that's all that matters to me."

He leaned over and grasped my hand. "I promise I will, Sister. And I think you will be glad to know that I asked Mahado to stay here with you; I told him that you need more protection than I do. I'll have Seto and Karim, but I wouldn't trust anyone else to help you keep an eye on the palace."

I felt my heart leap at this. "That is most kind of you, Brother. I'll be glad that he'll be away from the danger."

"I thought so," he said smugly. He turned Sobek around. "So, I challenge you to a race back to the stable yard. The winner gets an extra bowl of ice with syrup."

"Deal!" I said. I lined up Nephthys next to Sobek. "On your mark, get set…" I could feel my mare tense, waiting for the signal.

"GO!" With a great cloud of dust, we were off, racing back to the palace and laughing at the top of our lungs, leaving our cares behind for one bliss moment.

* * *

**1- Geb and Nut, the god of the earth and the goddess of the sky respectively, were in a constant embrace before Ra ordered Shu, their father, to separate them. **

**Thanks for reading! Sorry if there are any grammar errors in here, I was in a bit of a hurry to upload this before getting back to studying for finals. I can't say when the next chapter will be out, since I haven't started it yet. Finally my updates have caught up with my writing. It might be another week before I can get out the next chapter, depends on what I'll be up to once finals are done and the SUMMER starts! In the meantime, please leave a review!**


	52. The Royal Visitor

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh**

* * *

Sobek shifted restlessly as Atem checked the buckles on the saddle. Karim was doing the same, as was Seto. All around us, the stable yard was a whirlwind of activity as the other soldiers were readying their horses. The other captains were giving last-minute orders. Finally, Atem turned towards me. "We'll be back before you know it," he said cheerfully as he hugged me. I realized that now he was so tall that he could easily lay his head on my shoulder.

"It can't be soon enough," I replied as I hugged him tightly.

The moment he pulled away from me, Mana hurled herself at him. "I won't be long, Mana," he said gently as he held her. "Keep your magic up while I'm gone."

"Why does it seem that I'm always saying good-bye to you?" she whined sadly. Suddenly I became overcome by a sickening premonition: that there would come a time when both she and I would be saying our last good-bye to Atem as he rode off for the last time.

"But it'll be hello again, and think of that day," he reminded her. "That will get me through the time ahead."

She slipped something from around her neck and put it around his. "I want you to have this, for protection," she said.

My brother smiled at her. "I'll wear it always." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lord Amunhotep scowling, and I silently dared him to make a remark, but he had the discretion to keep his thoughts to himself.

Nearby, Karim was holding Isis close. "I feel the same as Mana, like I'm always saying good-bye to you," she said plaintively, although she was calmer about it.

"As the Prince said, it won't be for long, and I have to lead the soldiers," he explained as he released her. He hugged me next.

"By Ra, I think you must be as restless as my brother. You were so quick to volunteer your services," I scolded lightly.

"I'm simply doing my job as Guardian," he replied with his usually charming grin. He pulled Mahado into a brotherly hug. "Take care of our ladies," he said to him.

"Of course I will," my husband assured.

Isis opened her mouth, and I could guess that she wanted to protest that she was not Karim's lady. But we both knew that if it were not for her decision to be the Guardian of the Necklace, she would have been, so she was as good as; he had eyes for no other.

Having said his goodbyes, he mounted his horse, as tall and regal as if he was a prince himself. Atem and Seto had already mounted, and my brother gave Karim a nod. They kicked their horses into a gallop, and a wave of whinnies echoed through the air as the other soldiers followed them out of the stable yard.

"May the gods keep you and bring you back safe and sound, and soon," I murmured under my breath as I leaned against my husband, glad to have his comforting presence by my side as I watched my brother lead the men back towards Nubia.

* * *

I shifted uncomfortably in the unusual heat, wondering why royal protocol dictated that I had to dress my absolute best just to welcome our visitor. Granted, this was not just any ordinary visitor: she was another royal, thus why I had to wear my ceremony dress. I could feel the sweat pouring beneath the golden headdress, and I prayed fervently for the parade to hurry through the city and up to the palace already. But of course, since the people were most anxious to see this spectacle, I would not be getting my wish.

To take my mind off the heat, I recalled receiving Atem's letter several days ago. It read:

_Dearest Sister, _

_Things here in Nubia are in a sad condition indeed; there are hardly enough men to spare on the expedition without depriving the palace of its guards. Since I will need help, we have had no choice but to take the guards with us, which leaves the Nubian queen in danger, I'm afraid. _

_Therefore, I hope you do not mind if I send her to stay with you until this is over. I know that you will show her the best of hospitality. _

_With all my love, _

_Atem_

But of course, this was hardly a request on my brother's part; he just simply told me that Teana was coming, and that was that. I inwardly groaned and immediately started to make preparations for her stay.

"Has all been made ready?" I asked tersely.

"But of course, my Queen," Shimon said soothingly. "You need not worry; I have overseen every last detail."

I grudgingly nodded and turned my attention to the scene before me, where the Queen of Nubia was parading through the streets as if she was on holiday, albeit with a rather small entourage.

"Just hang in there, my love," Mahado murmured to me. "Tonight you shall have a refreshing, cool bath, and this will all be over."

"This will not be over until she leaves," I said through my plastered smile.

He chuckled. "Oh, come now, you know that your brother loves playing the gallant prince."

"That doesn't mean that he has to drag me into playing host to _her_," I replied, taking care that the others could not guess at what we were discussing. For all they could see, we were just whispering sweet nothings to each other.

"I'm sure it won't be as bad as you think. If you could bring yourself to forgive her, you might find her to be a good friend. By all reports, she is rather the meek creature, and quite beautiful too."

"I won't have you simpering after her," I snapped, feeling my smiling mask ready to crack."

"Oh please, do you really think that I could set my eye on her, even if she is a Queen? The Queen of Queens is already mine; what use do I have for any other?" It felt as if he was undressing me with his words alone, and I felt a delicious shiver work its way up my spine.

Soon the noise heightened, and I saw that Teana was nearing the palace gates, where I waited with my husband and the other Guardians who had remained in Thebes. I didn't need Mahado to tell me that she was exquisitely beautiful; I had seen her in my vision- I had seen more of her than I had wanted. Yet I was determined to hate her for seducing my brother with those pale voluptuous curves and those bright azure eyes, bluer than even Seto's.

I couldn't deny that she rode with the grace befitting a queen, and for a moment I wondered if I looked as graceful astride a horse. But I quickly remembered myself, widened my smile, and stepped forward with open arms as she slid off her horse. "On behalf of my brother the fledgling Horus, the Prince Atem, welcome to the Kingdom of the Two Lands," I said formally. "I am his sister, the Queen Regent Sahm-Aset Jasana. You have heard of me, I'm sure."

"Indeed I have," Teana answered humbly. "Atem couldn't speak enough of his beloved sister." I was appalled that she saw fit to address my brother so familiarly. As far as I was concerned, I should have been the only one to address him by his name; nobody else did so.

"These are the other Sacred Guardians of the Pharaoh. You'll remember Shada, I'm sure." I introduced the other Guardians in turn, and then gestured for a groom to come and take her horse. "Now, follow me, and we shall see you to your lodgings." Her servants in tow with her various belongings, she followed me like a lamb.

_Maybe Mahado was right, she seems harmless enough. Maybe I'm determined to hold a grudge against her because of what she did to Atem. _I decided to give her a chance. "I trust you had a good journey here?" I asked casually.

"Well enough," she said diplomatically.

"You need not lie to me as a queen must lie to her courtiers. We are equals here, are we not?"

"Indeed. I must say that I have never traveled for great distances before, and we had to hurry, so I could not take as many of my belongings as I would have liked. And my advisors thought it best that I dress discreetly. Imagine having to do without paints and silks for days on end!"

"What a hardship," I said dryly, immediately recalling my decision to give her another chance. _So not only is she a wanton chit, but also vain._

"Forgive me," she said quickly. "I know that my sentiments must seem trivial to one as experienced as you."

_And a flatterer at that._ I could see that she was eager to befriend me, as the sister of the man she was besotted with. "There is nothing to forgive; you are a bit young for such a burden as being a queen. You are only a few months older than my brother, if I am not mistaken."

Her eyes widened. "Yes, I am but fourteen years old. But how did you know this?"

"You simply look like it," I answered, and I could see a hint of displeasure cross her face momentarily before she once again donned a polite mask. _At least she has the training of a queen in keeping her feelings hidden, but not much else, I warrant._

"So, you've been like a mother to Atem?"

"Yes. Our mother died giving birth to my dear brother the _Prince_," I replied stiffly, purposely calling Atem by his title to remind her of whom she was speaking. "So I've had a hand in teaching him how to ride a horse, and in the ways of the heka."

"No wonder he is so kindhearted then," she said. "He must've been rather spontaneous and rambunctious as a little boy."

"Indeed he was," I concurred, tossing her a bone. "He had a lot of energy even as a young boy. This is still the case today; right when he gets back from Nubia he goes off again." I laughed lightly to hide how this grated on me.

"I'm sorry for causing all this trouble," she murmured. "It's just that I've never received the training of a ruler from my father, and once I heard there were raiders, I was at a loss for what to do, and my advisors told me that our forces were greatly lacking… I didn't know who else to turn to. "

At that moment, I felt a trace of pity for her. "As my brother said, since you are our vassal, it is our responsibility to protect you should the need arise. He is more than happy to do so, and on his behalf, so am I." That wasn't a complete lie; if Atem thought it was a noble cause, then I was behind him wholeheartedly. "Ah, here we are." I led her into our finest guest chamber. "This will be where you shall stay for your time here. Is it to your liking?"

She looked around her, wonder all over her face. "It is almost too much to ask for."

"Nonsense," I replied, my voice being perhaps a bit too bright. "You are a queen after all, and you shall be treated as such, Teana." As her elder and her hostess, I could call her by her name with or without her leave.

"You are too kind, Your Majesty."

"Jasana," I replied, thinking that if she was so familiar with my brother to call him by his name, she might as well call me by mine as well. "Please call me 'Jasana'." I turned around to go. "And now, if there is not anything else you need, I will let you freshen up before the feast tonight."

* * *

"But why else would he have her stay here?" Mana was storming to my husband when I came across them in the Courtyard of Magicians, furiously pounding sword after sword into his shield.

"Focus your energy, Mana. Channel your heka, not your anger," he calmly replied.

"You're not answering the question!"

"I believe this is a practice session, not a question-and-answer," he retorted.

She saw me. "Tell me, Jasana. He loves her, doesn't he? That's why he sent her to stay here. And she is indeed more beautiful than I am, and a queen too!" Her lower lip trembled. "I've heard the worst rumors…"

I fought the urge to chuckle at Mana's pettiness. Mahado, seeing that it would be useless to carry on the lesson, disarmed his shield and made her swords disappear with a casual wave of his hand. He gently set Mana down on a bench and sat next to her. "Whatever rumors you may have heard simply are not true, Mana. You can't believe everything everyone is saying."

"But they're saying that there was something between them while he was in Nubia!" she insisted.

"There was not; that was just a mistake," I half-lied. "His heart was never in it."

"But she likes him, doesn't she?"

"Why should that bother you? Plenty of ladies will set their eye on him; you're not the only one who finds him handsome, and you might as well get used to it, little one," I said gently. "It will do you no good to be consumed by jealousy. He is the most eligible man in the kingdom, after all."

"But nobody knows him like I do!" she wailed passionately. "Nobody knows his secrets, or the fact that if he were not a prince, he wants to be a chef, or…" At this, her voice faltered.

Mahado gently placed his hands on her shoulders. "You are still his closest friend, Mana, and nothing can change that. Didn't you notice that it was only you he bid farewell to, and nobody else?"

This seemed to mollify her a little. "I suppose," she sniffed. "But how can you be so sure?"

"Because Jani and I were in the same situation the two of you were." At this, he cast a warm glance at me. "In fact, with her being a princess, I was in the same position you were in, and see how it worked out?"

"But that was different; Jasana here loved you from the very beginning. You didn't face much of a threat from the other men," she argued. Apparently she didn't know about my brief flirtation with Kanakh, and I was not inclined to bring it up, not when it was so long ago.

I sighed. "Come now, it is almost time for the feast. And I think the two of you would get along, Mana, if you could overlook the fact that you both are fond of the same man. She will need a friend here, so would it be too much to ask for you to be that friend?" I knew that she would make a better companion for Teana than I would, being closer in age and quicker to forgive, and having not seen those horrifying visions.

"I suppose I could try," she conceded. She rounded on Mahado. "Are you positively certain that he spoke of me?" she asked eagerly.

"I'm privy to the Prince's secrets, so I cannot say," he replied mysteriously.

"But you hinted!" she cried, frustrated with his evasiveness.

I laughed. "Oh, to your rooms with you. You want to look your best for the feast, don't you?"

"Oh yes! I shall be much prettier than _her_," she declared. "If only the Prince was here to see me." With a little sigh she flounced away.

Mahado chuckled and wound an arm around my waist as he led me out of the courtyard. We paused by the lotus garden. "Poor girl," he murmured. "I'm afraid she will be in for quite a wild ride if her affection for the Prince is as strong as I think it is."

"What are you talking about?"

"The Prince did indeed talk of her to me, but that doesn't mean that his eye is on her alone. In fact, I have a feeling that he is going to be like Karim in charming the ladies in a few years' time," he replied as he moved to nibble at my ear.

"Yet you assured her that she was above all else."

"Indeed, that is what I believe, and would you have me say otherwise?" He leaned his head against mine. "Although I do suppose that it was different between the two of us than it is for her and your brother," he conceded. "So, has your impression of Teana changed yet?"

"No," I staunchly replied. "And I doubt it ever will."

He laughed. "How quick you are to judge, my love! I suppose I was extremely lucky to have met you before you were too young to judge me an oaf and never look my way again."

"But I would have never done such a thing!" I protested, leaning into him and reveling in his masculine scent.

"Oho, I believe you would have," he said provocatively, his breath warm on my neck. "I believe that if I had met you when we were but twelve or thirteen, you wouldn't have looked at me twice, and instead of me being here about to pry your dress off, it would be Kanakh murmuring seductively into your ear."

I lightly pushed him so that he almost fell backward into the pond. "No, it wouldn't," I swore fervently, leaning forward to kiss him and pushing myself against him. "You know this as well as I, it would be you and no one else. Why must you taunt me so?"

"To get you to kiss me like that more often," he said mischievously, pulling me to him for another one.

* * *

Teana was the center of attention that night. As the guest of honor, she was seated to my right, and Mahado was to my left as usual. She wore a flattering red silk dress, and a strand of carnelian adorned her throat, accompanied by matching earrings and bangles. Even though I was not an excessively vain person myself, I had to admit that Teana's beauty was enough to outshine any of the other women's, even my own.

At first she chatted modestly and shyly with the other courtier men, who were enthralled with the newest arrival at our court. But as the night wore on, she became bolder, more like the woman I had seen in my visions. Her laugh tinkled like music, and when she smiled, she did in a way that drew men closer, and only then did she smile her fullest and brightest.

"She most certainly is brewing up a storm of jealousy among the ladies," Mahado murmured into my ear. "I do believe you are the only woman who isn't jealous of her in this room, Jani."

"Do I have a reason to be?" I asked, batting my eyelashes flirtatiously.

"I shall answer that question later, when we are alone, and in bed," he answered. With that, he helped himself to some lettuce leaves, chewing them slowly and keeping his eyes locked on mine. In response, I broke open a pomegranate and nibbled on a few seeds, licking the juice from my lips. (1) Anyone who was sitting next to us could feel the heat of our desire, and anyone who cared to observe what we were eating could guess at our intentions. I was too engrossed in this visual seduction with my husband to notice Teana silently watching the two of us.

As soon as decorum would allow, we rose to take our leave. Teana stood up as well, but I said to her, "Sometimes my husband and I prefer to take our leave early and retire to our chambers for some quiet respite before sleeping. Feel free to stay here if you wish."

"I think I shall retire as well; it's been a long day," she replied.

At this, a wave of protests came from the courtiers. "Do stay, my lady Teana! You still have yet to tell us if the men of your land are more handsome than we are! Do stay for another cup of wine, at least!"

She blushed at this, and conceded, "Well, I suppose that one more drink couldn't hurt." She sat back down, and leaned over to hear the whispers of one of the handsomest of the group. I wryly noted that many of these men were the same ones who had vied for my hand in marriage. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Aramen and Semni passed us a wink as Mahado swept me from the banquet hall.

"Poor Mana had a face like thunder," he remarked. "I had no idea that she could harbor such a sour expression on her face. Please Thoth I will never have to see that again."

"Well, I'm sure that she will warm up to Teana in time," I replied.

"How can you be so sure? Perhaps she can hold a grudge as well as you can."

"But she has no reason to hold a grudge; it was not her whose life was in danger while Atem was getting the Book back. She didn't see the two of them make love like I did."

"True enough." Suddenly, we heard some heavy breathing just around the corner, and we froze. Mahado quickly cast an Invisibility Spell over us, and we cautiously proceeded. Right there, in front of us, was Teraset, pinned up against the wall, and Kenut pressing himself into her. The two were kissing each other like crazy, and I saw that Kenut had pulled up her skirt to past her thighs, and his own kilt was lifted. He thrust into her, and Teraset moaned. There was a ripping sound as he pawed at her breasts, and the linen tore away to reveal a nipple, which he fondled and pinched.

"Tera… my Tera," he was moaning in between his impassioned kisses. "I don't care about what your father says… I love you."

"I love you too," she murmured. "Ohhhh… harder… HARDER," she pleaded.

"Shhh… do you want the whole palace to hear us?" he lightly scolded, hushing her with more kisses.

"I don't care; they can come walking in if they want… harder… yes… just like that… yesssss…._yeeeeesssssssss…"_ She moaned like a cat in heat as her pleasure mounted.

I felt my husband's arm come around my waist and he drew me away. We hadn't even reached the entrance to our chambers when my hands began undoing his belt, and he had to hold his kilt up for decorum's sake as we passed the guards. Finally, alone in our bedchamber, we let our passion loose as we never had before.

"By Thoth," Mahado panted. "You couldn't even wait until we had passed the guards! You would have shamed me before them!"

"Oh shush and help me with this," I replied saucily. He immediately obliged and in no time my dress was off.

"So, just for that…" he chanted a spell, and my arms, which were spread out, were now frozen in place and pinned down so that I couldn't move them. "I get to have all the fun tonight. I'll do to you what you did to me that other night."

We didn't speak again until quite some time later, when we had collapsed onto the bed out of exhaustion. Sore and satiated, I murmured huskily, "My, my, Mad, you were in a rare form tonight."

He grinned and pulled me closer. "Must've been the lettuce," he joked. "I thought it was a myth before, but it sure does work wonders."

I giggled. "In that case, I must feed you lettuce more often."

"So, what do you make of what we just saw? I would say that it's incredibly fortunate for the two of them that it was us who saw them and not Lord Sep-u-khamen."

"Indeed. If her father had seen that, he would probably have Kenut exiled at least, and he would disown his daughter. He is conservative like that."

"Or he would force the two of them to marry," Mahado said. "Especially if she becomes pregnant."

"Well, you must be glad; at least he clearly has gotten over his infatuation with me," I remarked.

"Oh yes," he replied carelessly. "I'm sure that Teraset's kiss has made him forget all about yours."

I tensed. "I didn't know that you knew about that!"

"I overheard most of the conversation between you and him at the stable, remember. That was why I wanted to strangle him right then and right there. But don't worry, Jani. I don't hold anything against you for it. You said yourself that you only kissed him because you had been deprived of my touch, although I wish that you had taken care of that longing through other means. In any case, it was long ago now, so let us leave it be."

I nodded. He sighed. "I never realized how peaceful it is whenever it is just the two of us," he said softly. "I doubt Semni and Aramen will have many more moments like these, or nights like these, with their brood growing as quickly as it is."

I looked up at him dubiously. "Are you expressing doubt over having children, my love?"

"Not at all! But I just seemed to realize that when we do have children, we can't exactly make love constantly, especially when they become old enough to barge in on us unexpectedly."

I snuggled closer to him. "It would seem that you would like my company to yourself for just a little while longer."

"Whatever the gods will," he replied soothingly. "We will definitely have little ones when the time is right. After all, didn't the Great Mother herself promise you a child?"

"That she did," I replied contentedly. "But… if it doesn't happen soon, do you think we should adopt a child? I know that there are many children out there who are orphans…"

"While that certainly may be an option, I would prefer not to," he answered quickly. "After all, remember that you are of the divine line of Horus. And the Great Mother said that the House of Horus will continue through you, and not your brother. Therefore, I think we should ensure that we have children of our own so that one of divine blood will inherit and not some random commoner."

"I suppose you're right," I said hesitantly. "But there is still nothing I want more than to hold a babe of our own in my arms, and to have him or her suckling at my breast."

"In good time, Jani," Mahado assured me, doing his best to suppress a yawn. "In good time, my love.."

* * *

Teana settled into life at the palace easily, taking to being a healer at the medical wing as if she was born to it. Mana eventually warmed up to her, but there was still an uneasy tension between them, which was brought into the forefront whenever a courier arrived with letters from Atem. One would come for Mana, and another for Teana, and they took to comparing their letters and discerning the meaning in his words, much to my amusement. His letters to me seemed rather perfunctory: simply a report of how things were progressing.

The Ethiopians proved to be resilient and pesky, and even with all the forces under his command, he, Karim, and Seto were having difficulty eliminating all of them. Thus the last month of the year was upon us with no sign of them returning. Having seemed to sense the unacknowledged rivalry between Mana and Teana, he soon took to writing only a single letter to me and letting me share with them whatever news as I saw fit.

One day, feeling myself coming down with a cough, I sought out Lady Aseneit. I huddled inside my warmest cloak, doing my best to shrug off the cold breeze. Sure enough, I found not only Lady Aseneit in the medical wing, but also Aramen, and Teana.

"Greetings, my Lady Queen!" Lady Aseneit said warmly. "What brings you here?"

I succumbed to a fit of coughing as an answer. "Is there something you can give me to treat this?"

"But of course, of course! Let's see- do you find yourself with a headache as well as a cough?"

"From time to time."

She pressed a hand to my forehead. "You're not running a fever…" She proceeded to ask me a few more questions, and then started to brew a potion.

"You better get more rest," Aramen said to me. "You know, if your husband finds out about this, he will order you to bed and not let you leave for a few days at least."

"That's why I'm here, so that this cough can be gone before he finds out about it," I replied. "Whenever he is around, I suppress it, and if I can't, I just tell him that it's not too serious."

She chortled, "Well, you won't be able to keep that up for long, I warrant."

Suddenly, there was a frantic female voice in the anteroom. "Is the Lady Aseneit in? I must see her immediately!"

"She is currently occupied with the Queen Regent, I'm afraid," the servant answered.

"Let me through! I must see her!" Teraset came barging in, and Aramen gasped.

"What are you doing here, Tera?" she demanded. "You know that you can always just come to me if you need anything; why would you need to see Lady Aseneit?"

Teraset froze, shock on her face. Clearly she was not expecting to find her sister here. "I… I…" she stammered.

"Unless you didn't want me to know about it? Unless you wanted to keep it a secret?" Aramen was on her feet now, her voice dangerously soft.

Suddenly, Teraset's hand flew to her mouth, and Teana quickly handed her a wooden basin. Aramen's eyes widened as she watched her oldest sister retch. "Oh Tera…" she murmured softly. "My poor sister…"

"I don't need your pity," she snapped, wiping the vomit from her mouth. She turned to Teana. "You are the newest healer, are you not, Lady Teana?"

Teana nodded meekly. "I am."

"Are you familiar with how to brew the acacia and honey mixture?"

"Tera, no!" Aramen gasped. "You can't! Don't do it, Lady Teana, I beg of you! Please, Sister, there is another way…"

"There isn't," Teraset said coldly. "Father will disown me if he finds out, and then I will be ruined. I have no other choice."

"You do! Give the child to me, let me raise it," she pleaded. "Don't let an innocent child die because of your mistake!"

Teraset slapped her, and she reeled to the ground. "You fool! I would rather let the babe die than be raised by you! And Father would find out, which would defeat the purpose! I don't want him to find out!"

"Just explain to him! Tell him what happened; I'm sure that he will understand!"

"He will not! He would be furious that I gave myself to a man before I was married! He would force me into a marriage with the father!"

"And would that be so bad? Surely you love the father of the child well enough to marry him?" Aramen challenged.

Now Teraset looked away. "He won't have it," she said softly. "I told him, and he called me a whore and cursed me. He doesn't want the child, and he doesn't want me as a wife."

"Who is he anyway?"

"None of your business, Sister. Now, Lady Teana, that mixture." The sudden realization came to me that the father must be Kenut. In fact, if my calculation was correct, that night that Mahado and I came upon them must have been when the child was conceived.

Teana already had the mixture ready and in a pouch and handed it to her. Aramen moved to snatch it, but Teraset was quicker. "If you do this," she threatened, "I'll tell Father! I'll tell him, and you can face his wrath anyway!"

"If you do, I'll just say that you are lying to slander me, and it'll be your word against mine. I'm his favorite anyway; see if he will believe you! In any case, the deed will be done before you can even find him!"

At this, Aramen's eyes filled with tears. "Believe me, Tera, this will solve nothing. You will feel incredible guilt for killing your child, and you will have to live with it for the rest of your days. Do you want that? Please, give the child to me. I will ensure that it will be loved and cared for, and the child need never know the truth. Please… just let the child live…"

For a moment, I believed that Teraset would relent, but then her face hardened and she was gone.

"Teraset! No!" Aramen dashed out after her sister, but soon she came back. "She's gone…" she rasped, collapsing into tears. "She's gone… oh may Aset have mercy on her…"

* * *

The cough disappeared quickly, but it soon resurfaced in my husband. "Are you unwell, my love?" I asked one morning two days after I had gone to Lady Aseneit.

"It's nothing, Jani," he said, but he soon had another lengthy fit.

"That's exactly what I said to you. Oh dear, I'm afraid I've passed my cough on to you. But don't worry; Lady Aseneit can brew a potion that will heal it in no time. I'll go to her after my meeting with the viziers. Or perhaps there's enough time for me to go now."

"I knew I should have ordered you to bed at the first sign of this cough; maybe then it wouldn't have passed on to me."

"You got it when you insisted on kissing me even though I warned you that I might be coming down with something," I chided. "Although I don't think it's so severe for you to need to be in bed. Just be sure to keep your distance from everyone. I'll be back presently with the medicine." After a swift kiss on his forehead, I sailed out of the room.

I found Aramen and Teana chatting in low voices when I entered. "Jasana! I didn't expect you back so soon. Did the medicine not work?" Aramen asked anxiously.

"It worked wonders!" I assured her. "But now my poor husband has caught the cough, and I'm here on his behalf."

"I'll go and tell her that you're here," Teana offered, leaving Aramen and me alone.

"Have you seen Teraset of late?" I asked.

She shook her head sadly. "She hasn't been seen ever since she came here. Father says that she's been keeping to her room, saying that she is ill with a highly contagious disease and doesn't want anyone to contract it. She hasn't even seen Safira, who is the one closest to her."

"Do you think she feels remorse for what she did?"

"I never thought it was in her nature to feel such a thing as remorse, but I think that if there's anything to ignite the feeling in her, it would be the murder of her unborn child." She turned her worried eyes to me. "I fear that is the case here. She is not ill with a fever, but with regret and remorse. She has never shut herself away from everyone. Even if she wouldn't let Father see her, she would always let Safira in."

"I'm sure there's nothing to worry about, Aramen," I said, patting her hand. "I'm sure she will come round in time if she is suffering from guilt."

"Yes," she replied. But her smile was strained. "Please Aset she will."

* * *

"It was most kind of you to invite us to your father's house for this little party," I said to Aramen a month later.

"Of course, I couldn't think of better company than you and Mahado, since Semni has been called to the Sanctuary. Granted, you are not great friends of Teraset, but I thought you should still come anyway; all of my other sisters will be there."

"So your father hopes that this party will be enough to coax Teraset out of her rooms?" Mahado asked, keeping his eyes ahead as he carefully steered the horses through the streets.

"Yes, and I hope that this time, we will succeed." In the past month, Teraset had succumbed to a deep depression and rarely left her rooms or admitted anyone. Even though there hadn't been much affection between the two of them, I could see that Aramen was gravely worried about her sister. "If only I had told Father the minute I found out! He would have found a way to stop this, or to fix this somehow!"

"But this was not your doing," I said comfortingly. "And you couldn't have known that she would act this way, or whether your father would have believed you."

Soon we arrived at Lord Sep-u-khamen's villa, and he and the other Sisters were waiting for us, save for Teraset. "Welcome, Sister," Meret greeted, kissing her on the cheek. Her other sisters did the same, and they curtsied respectfully to Mahado and me.

"Welcome, my Queen, and my Lord Mahado," Lord Sep-u-khamen greeted. "It is most kind of you to escort my youngest here."

"The pleasure is mine," I answered, smiling. Of the three lower viziers, Lord Sep-u-khamen was the most decent and tolerable.

He led us inside, and then said, "Well, girls, shall we try to draw your sister out? This is the last straw, I'm afraid. If she will not open the door, then I shall have to force it open."

We approached the door. Lord Sep-u-khamen nodded to Safira, and she cried out, "Tera, please, dearest Sister, open the door! Whatever the matter is, we still love you! So please, come out!"

An eerie silence answered us. One by one the other Sisters begged for Teraset to let them in, and then finally, Lord Sep-u-khamen said grimly. "Daugther, if you will not open the door, then we shall force our way in!"

Still there was no answer. "That is strange; usually by now she would utter at least a word," Meret said.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Ankh-nefera murmured, and a shudder passed through me. I felt the same, and I grasped Mahado's hand for comfort."

Lord Sep-u-khamen heaved a sigh, and then nodded to the servants, who began to pick the lock to the door. They finally had it open, and we all rushed in.

He stopped dead in his tracks, Meret let out a blood-curdling scream, Safira and Ankh-nefera burst into tears, and Aramen fell to the ground in a dead faint. I felt light-headed, and Mahado steadied me. Right in front of us, hanging from a hook high in the wall, with a fine silk scarf wrapped around her thin neck, was Teraset, the blood still dripping from her wrists.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please leave a review too! I'm working on the next chapter already, and am almost done! Look for the next update very soon! :)**


	53. In Crowning Glory

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh**

* * *

_Teraset drifts before me, her eyes open, her skin blue. "It's all your fault…" she rasps in a choked voice. "All your fault… Kenut wanted you… instead he seduced me…" Her bloodied hands reach out to me. "You will pay…"_

I awoke with a scream. Mahado bolted upright. "By the gods, Jani! I thought attackers had come to murder us in our bed!" I started to sob, and he gathered me close. "Oh, my love… I was only trying to make light of the situation… it's the nightmare again, isn't it?"

Burying my face into his muscled chest, I nodded. He sighed and lay back down, drawing me with him.

"Is it the same as the night before?"

"No… she said something else… she said that Kenut wanted me… but seduced her instead…"

"Those are just ramblings; they don't mean anything," he soothed, gently stroking my hair.

"By Aset, I just want them to stop…" I wailed.

"Aramen's not faring any better than you, from what Semni tells me. In fact, she has been bereft with guilt. She thinks that if she had told her father, or if she had somehow prevented Teraset from taking the acacia, her sister's life might have been spared. Even though Lord Sep-u-khamen told her that she is not to blame for what Teraset did."

"Why do these dreams torment me so?"

"That sight was ghastly enough to haunt anyone; I myself had difficulty sleeping that night. But even so, it's been half a month. Perhaps we should seek out the advice of the Head Priestess to see if anything else can be done?"

"The Priestess of Hathor already said that it is only a matter of time," I replied.

"Let's try to go back to sleep then; everything will be better in the morning." Continuing his calming caress, he began to hum a soft tune, one that he explained that Nebatet would sing to him whenever he had nightmares when he was a boy. Curling up against him, I eventually let myself be lulled by his sweet voice.

* * *

The crowd sent out wave after wave of cheers, and they were so loud that even from the palace balcony, they were overpowering. I straightened the headdress on my head, and beside me, Mana was fidgeting apprehensively. I longed to offer her some reassurance, but I knew that with Teana watching, I must not appear to be taking sides. Even though Atem had sent word a week before that he and the men were returning, she still had yet to pack her belongings, and I did not want to seem ungracious, so I did not hint that she should be preparing to leave. After all, now that the Ethiopian raiders were eliminated, there was no further reason for her to stay here.

_Unless she's holding out hope that he will fall for her_, I thought to myself. I had guessed that the viziers thought that she would make a good match for Atem, but they still had yet to voice that sentiment. Even after four months, I was still only coolly polite towards her; despite her best efforts to befriend me, I still kept my distance. Mana had been friendly towards her, until she grew tired of Teana constantly talking about Atem. The other ladies were quick to befriend her though, and she was quite the trendsetter among them. I couldn't help feel a bit jealous when I noticed that they were all evenly split between following Teana's fashions or mine. I was so used to being the leading lady of the court that I did not welcome a rival.

When I had fumed about this to my husband earlier that morning, he fell into a fit of laughter. "By Thoth, to have you, of all women, jealous of the Lady Teana!"

"It's not funny!" I stormed to him, splashing him for good measure.

He simply continued laughing and shielded himself from my splash attack. "I didn't think you were capable of such petty jealousy," he taunted. "She'll be gone soon enough. Besides, I admit that this palace has hardly enough room for the egos of two royal ladies. It was already filled enough with yours."

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" I huffed.

"Nothing; I was just making a casual observance," he said innocently, grinning. He pulled me close and banished my anger with a hard kiss. "Now I shall make another: you are clearly the more beautiful of the two. Everyone knows this; they're just paying more attention to Teana because she's the guest and a novelty."

"You're hardly the fair judge; you're my husband after all. You're supposed to think I'm the more beautiful."

"I may be your husband, but I'm sure that Karim and the others would agree with me."

"But they're my friends, so they're biased too."

He sighed. "Well, even if that is true, that makes four weighty opinions, if you count Seto. Surely that counts for something? Besides, shouldn't it be my opinion that matters the most? What use do you have for what others think?"

"That's true," I conceded, wrapping my arms, kissing him, and seductively rubbing my body against his. His mouth immediately moved lower, over my neck and my breasts. I continued to push against him until he was against the side of the tub, and together we stumbled until we found the seat that had been cunningly built into the side. He seated himself, and I straddled him and began to grind against him. His hands moved to clutch my buttocks and pull me more on top of him…

I was pulled out of this sensual reverie by a nudge from my husband, whose smirk told me that he could read my mind clearly.

"Do try to stay focused, my love," he chided teasingly in a low voice meant for my ears only. "For the day, at least."

I threw him a sulky look, but before I could make a retort, Mana screamed, "He's coming! He's coming! Oh, my Queen, could we please go down to meet him? Please?"

"There are too many people, Mana," Shimon replied. "It is best if we wait up here."

"But then I'll have to wait even longer for him!" she whined. "Come on, there's a dais there, and it'll be a little bit away from the people. Please, Jasana?"

I chuckled and placed my hands on her shoulders. "All right, Mana. We shall." Out of the corner of my eye I saw Teana's look of surprise. Then her eyes filled with envy at the familiarity between the two of us." I made my way down, walking as fast as I possibly could. Mana, who had to remain behind me for propriety's sake, was practically skipping.

We had just arranged ourselves on the dais when the palace gates opened and my brother came riding in. His shoulders had become broader in the months that he had been away; his body was continuing its transformation from that of a boy to that of a man. He beamed at me, and I smiled back, forcing myself to remain standing where I was. My eyes sought out Karim's, and he grinned at me.

Atem had just dismounted, and he was making his way towards us when Mana couldn't restrain herself any further. "Atem!" she squealed, flying down the steps of the dais towards him. He quickened his step, and swung her around in a huge hug. The reunion was touching. He murmured something into her ear, and I surreptitiously slid my glance at Teana to gauge her reaction. Her face was like a mask, but even years of training couldn't hide her apparent jealousy. _If she has any sense, she will see that she can never break the bond between the two of them_, I gloated.

I waited until Atem approached the dais before descending and enveloping him in my arms in a dignified manner. "Sister!" Atem gasped as he threw his arms around me. "I was going to hug you first, but I guess Mana simply beat you to it," he joked.

"I don't hold it against her," I replied with a laugh. "She's been going on and on about your return ever since you sent news." Karim and Seto walked up behind him, and it was Isis's turn to run towards Karim and hug him.

"Even Isis can't restrain herself," Atem remarked. "I never thought I'd see the day." We walked back to where everyone else was waiting, and he bowed gallantly before Teana. "My Lady Teana," he said smoothly. "Your kingdom is now safe and awaits your return."

If she was disappointed in this formality, she did her best not to show it. "I thank you, Prince Atem," she murmured.

Isis, Karim, and Seto joined us, and I hugged Karim. Then I extended my hand to Seto, and he took it warmly in both of his. "I'm glad you all are back safe and sound."

"I'm sorry that it took longer than we anticipated, my Queen," he replied. "I was hoping to have been home in time for the end of the year festivities."

"Why, I didn't know that you enjoyed those holidays so much, Seto," I said, thoroughly surprised.

"I love all things Egyptian, so why would that not include the holidays celebrating our most beloved gods?"

"Well, the most important thing is that you all have returned safely, and you shall surely see many more years with the Extra Five Days, I'm sure."

"From your mouth to Aset's ears," he said piously.

I turned to my brother. "Now that the threat has been eliminated, when can the lady Teana return to her home?"

"Surely she can stay for a little while longer," Atem said casually, giving her a smile.

Mana's eyes widened. "But surely she has duties awaiting her?"

"Her viziers have been seeing to them while she was away, surely another half a month or more wouldn't hurt."

Teana threw Mana a glance of pure triumph and linked her arm in his. I knew that Mana wasn't the only one who had steam pouring out of her ears at her presumptiveness. "Indeed. I would trust them with my life; some of them served my father. The kingdom is in good hands with them."

"Yet I've learned from my father, the great Pharaoh Akhenamkhanen, to whom your father was but a mere vassal, that you cannot put too much trust in your viziers. They only seek to serve themselves, and to trust the wrong ones can prove disastrous," I said snidely.

"How unfortunate that you have failed to find the right men then, Jasana," she said sweetly, drawing closer to my brother.

_Oho! So the meek little wench has finally showed her claws at last! _I could have slapped her, but my husband drew a warning arm around my waist and pulled me slightly away from her. "Jani…" he growled.

Atem laughed to ease the awkwardness of the moment. He dropped her arm to place a hand on my shoulder. "Oh, Jani is simply following her good sense, passed on by my wise father. She doesn't trust anyone except those closest to her. And she is a bit older than us foolish ones. In fact, in about half a month, she will see her twenty-second Naming Day! You simply must stay until then, for I intend to throw her the greatest party she has ever seen!" My jaw dropped open, and he smiled. "It's the least I can do for the woman who reigns first in my heart and has always been there for me."

"Atem! Surely a small, quite affair would be better," I protested.

"Nonsense; the whole court has been itching to share in the festivities on the actual day for ages now. If you want, you can have another quieter celebration earlier or later."

At that, Teana's eyes met mine with a piercing coldness that I had never seen in her before. It seemed that she realized that in addition to Mana, or perhaps instead of Mana, her real rival was me. It was I who held Atem's affections, and the woman who would become his wife would always have to acknowledge that our bond was not something that she could intrude upon, and she would by no means usurp me in his heart.

"If you insist then," I murmured. "And I'm sure that once you find the right woman, I shall fall to second place in your heart."

He shook his head. "That will never happen, and you know it as well as I. My apologies, Mahado, for admitting this in front of you."

"There is nothing to forgive, my Prince," my husband said. He caught my eye with a twinkle in his, and I knew that he found this rather amusing.

"Well, tonight it is I who shall be throwing the party for you," I declared. "After you have refreshed yourself and rested from the ride, that is. I shall look forward to the stories that you, Seto, and Karim have to share of your exploits."

At this, we turned to re-enter the palace. Teana walked, but then, noticing that Atem was not walking beside her, she paused. He was stretching his hand out to Mana, and started murmuring to her. She snapped her head around, pretending that she didn't see the two of them. Seto, noticing her walking alone, gallantly held out his arm to her, and she gratefully took it. "I thank you, Lord Seto," she said quietly.

"A queen should never have to walk alone," he replied politely.

"Would that she would fall for Seto instead!" I murmured to Mahado. "They would make an adorable couple, and then Seto could move to Nubia and we all would be free of him."

He chuckled and gave me a squeeze. "That would be lovely, but there's one little problem: he's needed here as the Guardian of the Rod. And you would never admit this, but you would miss him, even just a little, I know I would. Besides, getting him to love someone is going to be more difficult than catching Bata if I wanted to hypothetically unman him."

"Well, it was a possibility," I said with a sigh.

* * *

I knew it was inevitable. But that didn't mean that I wasn't hoping that it wouldn't happen.

"My Queen, have you considered what we said about choosing the Prince's consort?"

"Yes, I have, and my resolve has not waned, Lord Amunhotep," I said shortly. "My brother is nearly a man now; he is not a child and is therefore perfectly capable of choosing his consort for himself."

"My Queen! You will be the destruction of the House of Horus if you do not act!" he cried.

"I think I have had enough of your insolence!" I snapped. "One more word out of turn, I tell you, and you'll be stripped of your office! I suppose that if I do not act, I'll just be destroying your hopes of being the father of the next Queen of Egypt and having more power than you already do!"

"But I'm not talking about marriage to one of my nieces," he said curtly. "I think that the Prince and the Lady Teana would make a fine match. She clearly is smitten with him-"

"As are all the other young noble ladies in the kingdom," I noted wryly.

He ignored my sarcasm and continued as if I had not said anything. "And he may come to love her in time. And what better match can the Prince make than the Queen of Nubia? To have the two kingdoms allied not only through a formal treaty but by marriage would eradicate all future trouble later."

"My brother is not a pawn to be used to forge alliances!"

"But this would also be a love-match, which makes it even better."

"It's very one-sided, believe me."

"For now," he pressed.

"Believe me, Lord Amunhotep, I know that this is something that will not change. So you will do well to forget about the matter entirely."

"So you will encourage this insane infatuation of your brother's?" he asked incredulously.

"I'm simply supporting him, as I well should!" I was now losing patience with him altogether. "And it is not for you to dictate the policy of this kingdom or to question my decisions! And I wish to leave this matter to my brother!"

The silence that ensued was so thick that it could have been sliced with a knife. "Very well; we shall let Prince Atem choose his own bride, but we all must approve of the marriage," Lord Sep-u-khamen finally said. "Is that a fair compromise, my queen?"

I breathed a small sigh of relief. At least I could rely on him to be loyal and not so difficult. "Very well, Lord Sep-u-khamen. It is agreed to."

Lord Amunhotep opened his mouth to protest, but I glared at him, and he closed it.

"Is there any other business to discuss, viziers?" I asked.

"None. Lord Amunhotep thought that this would be a good time to discuss the matter that he…er… wanted to discuss with you," Lord Wasithosef said. "He figured you would be in an especially good mood today."

"Well then, if there is nothing to be discussed, you are all dismissed," I said.

"Pardon me, my Queen, but you have a petitioner awaiting you in the corridor," Lord Sep-u-khamen said.

I groaned. "Tell him he may come in."

"He would prefer to meet you in the hallway," he said with a mysterious smile.

Perplexed, I immediately rose up from the throne and raced towards the doors, not even waiting until the viziers had disappeared. The man's face was hidden by a large bouquet of jasmine. "Pardon me, my Queen, but I have a very special gift from a secret admirer."

I smiled, willing to play along. "I wonder who that secret admirer might be…" I lifted the bouquet from his arms, and looked into my husband's beautiful face. I inhaled the fresh scent of the jasmine, which he knew was my favorite scent to wear and my second-favorite flower after the lotus.

"And what do I get as thanks for my gift?" he asked.

I stepped forward and gave him a long kiss. "Will that do?" I murmured breathlessly.

"For now," he purred into my ear. He looked down and grinned. "You're crushing my gift, and after all the trouble I took to pick them."

I giggled and traced my fingers across his cheek, marking him with the flower's perfume. Holding out the bouquet so that it wouldn't get even more crushed, I nestled against him.

"By Thoth, I can feel the tension in your entire body," he said tenderly as he folded his arms around me. "Rough session with the lower viziers?"

"That bastard Amunhotep brought up the matter of Atem's marriage again," I groaned, pressing my cheek to his chest, feeling the warmth through his tunic."

"Ah, that wily little snake," he replied lightly. "My poor darling, it's such a shame that you can't just push him into the dungeons."

"It is indeed," I sighed. "Can you please just get me out of here, Mad?"

He smirked. "I thought you'd never ask. Now that business is done, we can celebrate. After all, your Naming Day is tomorrow and your brother is throwing you a grand party. So today is our chance to celebrate quietly and intimately, just like you like it. And, after all, it is around the time of our anniversary- even though it's the day after your Naming Day, I think a little early celebration couldn't hurt now, could it?"

"No," I said smugly, looping my arms around his neck.

He grinned and gave me another kiss. "Come on then." He led me by the hand to the stables. "I'll let you ride Nephthys this time. I packed our dinner." Right on cue, he picked up a picnic basket.

I led my mare out of her stall, and quickly bridled her. Once I had mounted, he handed me the basket and then mounted himself, looping an arm around my waist and held onto the basket with the other.

Once we arrived at our oasis, we cuddled against each other and fed each other delicious morsels as we watched Ra descend into the west and Khonsu's full face rise in the east. He conjured a thick blanket to protect the both of us against the cold night as we made love.

As we lay side by side and caught our breaths, I wiggled closer to him. "Mad?"

"Yes, Jani?"

"Do you think that I should just give in to Lord Amunhotep and let him arrange a match between Teana and Atem?"

He pulled me up so that my face was next to his. "You're not serious, Jani. You could never do it; I know you couldn't. If your brother truly loved Teana and not Mana, then why would she need to use a love potion to seduce him? Do you really want to sentence him to spend the rest of his life with her?"

"No, but I have to admit that I can see things from his point of view; it would make the alliance between Egypt and Nubia that much stronger if she were Queen of both Nubia and Egypt. But that doesn't mean that I like her any more than I do right now."

"Your brother is not to be a pawn, any more than you were to be. You wouldn't have stood for it if your father gave you away for political advantage; could you do the same to your brother?" His eyes pierced into mine.

"No," I sighed. "No, I could never do that." I traced lazy circles across his bare chest with my fingers.

"You could never sell your noble soul like that, and that is why I love you so much," Mahado murmured, tipping my face up to his for a kiss.

I responded to his kiss with growing ardor, feeling myself become aroused once more. "The only reason why?" I asked seductively.

"Oh, a thousand other reasons too, but I'm too distracted right now to think of them," he murmured, his voice a sexy rumble.

"Try," I whispered, moving on top of him.

"Not tonight, I'm sure I'll remember tomorrow," he replied, his hands already searching all over my body.

* * *

A few days after my Naming Day, I was wandering towards the lotus garden, but then I heard low voices, and I cast an Invisibility Spell over myself.

I recognized Lord Amunhotep's voice. "I really did try and vouch for you, my lady, but the Queen Regent is most adamant about letting the Prince choose for himself."

I heard a sigh. "Thank you anyway, Lord Amunhotep. You did your best, I'm sure."

"But there is another way…" he replied. "Another way to diminish his affection for Mana…" At this I felt my blood curdle.

"No. Don't," she said. "Don't do anything anymore, Lord Amunhotep. The deal is off. I tried to win him over before, but I can see that won't happen."

"It's an honor to serve you, my Lady Teana. If I may say so, you are more beautiful and wiser than the Queen Regent. You would have made an excellent Queen of Egypt, if the gods had willed it."

"But they don't. I would love to have you as an advisor, Lord Amunhotep, if for some reason you become available."

"It's an honor to serve you." I heard retreating footsteps. Right there, I had enough evidence to charge Lord Amunhotep with treason. But then, I would have to explain why I was spying on them, and I wasn't inclined to do that; he could create trouble for me. If only I had been brave enough to take on a little trouble then! I might have been able to avert the disaster that would come soon if I did.

I lifted the Invisibility Spell and let Teana come across me. She nearly jumped, and put a hand to her chest. "Jasana!" she squeaked.

"I heard everything," I said coldly. "It was you who put that idea into Lord Amunhotep's head, to have you marry Atem. What did you promise him in return for this?"

"Either way, the deal is off, and I'm done trying to win Atem over," she said meekly.

"I should hope so. It's best if you leave as soon as possible, Teana. You've overstayed your welcome. Go back to Nubia, and never come back."

She sadly bowed her head. "Yes, I'll leave in two days' time."

I could see that there were tears in her eyes, and for once, I felt sorry for her. I imagined that what she was feeling was what I felt when Kanakh betrayed me. I gently laid a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Teana, but if the gods do not will it, then it is not meant to be."

"I just want…" she turned her head away. "I just want to be loved. I saw you walking with your husband the other day. The two of you had eyes only for each other, and I see how much he loves you. His entire face changes whenever you appear near him. I want a man to love me like that, and I hoped that it would be your brother in time. I also hoped that if I befriended you, you would put in a good word for me… but you favor Mana, don't you?"

"That is none of your concern," I said imperiously. "Either way, it is high time that you go back to ruling your own kingdom."

She nodded and walked away. I let out a sigh, hoping that we would indeed see the last of her and that she wouldn't stir any trouble for us. My guess was that she was too meek to harbor too much of a grudge against us. My concerns would come from elsewhere in the future.

I changed my mind and made my way up to the corridor that overlooked the Courtyard of Magicians. From my vantage point, I could see Mana practicing with Atem. They were laughing, and soon he had her in his arms, and then I heard him murmur, "Mana… my love…" His lips came down upon hers, and I felt that I should not be witnessing this intimate moment. I averted my eyes, but then my glance found Teana, hiding in a corner, watching the both of them. I didn't have to be close to guess that tears were pouring from her eyes as they confirmed her worst fear: that Atem's heart belonged wholly to this "chit" who had won what she could not, and he would never be won over now.

* * *

I suppressed a yawn, and it was all I could do to keep my eyes open. I silently cursed Mahado for overpowering me with his desire several times the night before. With all the loving that we had been doing, I was astounded that I had not yet conceived. But there would be no lovemaking that night, I decided. I needed my sleep- already I felt so tired that I could easily sleep through the rest of the day, but I knew that following the ceremony in the temple there would be a grand parade and a big feast at night, all of which I would play a critical role in. I sighed; it was going to be a long day ahead of me.

I felt relieved when I saw the barge approach the dock. I watched as my brother walked down the plank, and I could see from his steps that he was hesitant. I longed to be there by his side to give him assurance, but the ceremony protocol dictated that I had to wait for him at the entrance to the temple. At least Mahado and the other Guardians were to escort him to my side.

Finally he reached my side, and I gave him a smile. This was the day he had been waiting for, that he had been preparing for all his life. At last he was to take the reins of power from my hands and take his place on the Horus Throne.

We entered the cool inner sanctum of the Temple of Ra. After greeting us, the High Priest intoned the various incantations and anointed Atem's head with oil. Then, he nodded to me. I stepped forward, chanted my prayers, and removed the crown from my head, placing it on my brother's. The High Priest handed him the crook and the flail, the symbols of divine power, and cried out, "All hail the Pharaoh, the Living Horus!"

"Hail!" everyone in the temple cried, and the shout was repeated by the crowd outside. Atem stepped outside to greet his subjects as their newly crowned Pharaoh, and we all fell to our knees with our hands over our hearts.

I glanced up at that time, and, much to my surprise, I didn't see a young man who was brimming with confidence. Instead, I saw a lonely, frightened little boy, much like the same boy who had asked me those questions about Mother, the same boy I had taught to ride. He was the only one standing, and I could feel as much as sense his loneliness.

The moment of silence passed though, and soon we were all back on our feet again, and the cheering din resumed.

"My Pharaoh, it is time to make our way back to the palace," Shimon said.

Atem started, and then realized that Shimon was addressing him. "Very well, Shimon, let's proceed."

As we settled ourselves on the barge, Atem stood at the prow, alone. I pulled away from Mahado, and joined him. I noticed that he was pensive. "Brother?"

He turned to me, a smile fixed on his face. "What, Sister?"

"Is everything all right?"

"Yes! Everything's fine!" he said in a stilted voice. "Finally I'm Pharaoh! I thought this day would never come!"

"Well, here it is, and you knew it would come one day," I said gently. I knew that he was trying to convince himself as much as he was trying to convince me that all was well.

After a moment of silence, he asked apprehensively. "Jani? You'll still call me 'Brother' and 'Atem', right? You won't call me 'Pharaoh', will you? That much will still be the same, won't it?"

"Yes, nothing will change between us," I answered, giving him a gentle hug."

He clung to me tightly. "Promise?"

"I promise."

* * *

I drummed my fingers against the table. The musicians were already playing, and the courtiers were talking amongst themselves, but the feast would not officially start until Atem came in. _Where is he?_ I wondered frantically.

Mahado held out a cup of wine to me. "Some wine for energy, Jani? You do look a bit drained tonight."

"And whose fault is that?" I asked, batting my eyelashes at him.

He laughed. "Not mine!"

"So your shaft has a mind of its own?"

"_You_ were the one who seduced _me_," he argued provocatively.

"I did nothing!" I shot back.

"Oh? So you're saying it wasn't your hand that grasped me and aroused me?" His smirk spread across his whole face, and he knew that he had won this argument.

"I didn't even know I was doing it, I was half asleep," I said, taking a sip of the wine.

"By Thoth, so now it's your basic instinct to seduce me whenever possible." He started laughing harder.

"An instinct that you taught me," I murmured, placing a hand on his thigh.

"Well, if that is so, then I taught you well." His smirk disappeared as he glanced behind me. "Where is the Prince- I mean, where is the Pharaoh?"

My fingers started their drumming pattern again. "I don't know, but he should be here by now, should he not?"

Mana came up to me. "Can I go and find Atem, Jasana? I'm worried about him!"

I rose. "No, Mana, I'll go and find him." I swiftly kissed my husband before gliding into the dark recesses of the corridors.

My intuition told me that Atem was still hiding away in his rooms. He had gone there to freshen up for the feast. The guards bowed and let me in without a word. I knocked on the door to the anteroom. "Atem? It's me," I called out. Not receiving an answer, I entered. "Where are you?"

I found him standing on the balcony. I wordlessly approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder, and I was shocked to see that he was trembling, and his eyes were filled with tears.

I folded him into my arms. "Shh… there, there… everything will be all right…"

"When you were crowned…" he started in a shaky voice, "did you feel so… so…"

"Overwhelmed, terrified of the responsibility, awed by the great power of the position?"

He nodded. "When I was standing there, and everyone was kneeling before me, I felt so alone! And I realized that being Pharaoh meant that I would rule this country, and all those people… what if the task is beyond me? What if I fail?"

I pulled away so that I could look into his eyes. Placing my hands on his shoulders, I insisted, "It is not beyond you, and you will not fail. You have been preparing for this day ever since you were born. You always knew that you would be Pharaoh, and Father did his best to prepare you for this moment."

"I miss him," he sniffled. "I wish that somehow, he were still here. I miss his advice…"

"I miss him too," I replied gently, wrapping an arm about his shoulder. "But he's watching over us now with Mother. And you have Shimon, Mahado, the other Guardians, and most of all, you have me. I'll always be here for you."

He managed a small smile. "That's the one thing that kept me going through the ceremony: that you were there by my side. I don't know what I would do without you, Jani." He laid his heavy head on my shoulder. "Do you think I will be as great a Pharaoh as Father?"

"No offense to Father, but yes, I think you will be as great as he was, if not even greater," I said with a smile. Seeing that I had succeeded in assuring him, I continued, "Come on, you're missing your own party! The others are starving!"

Smiling and keeping his arms wrapped around me, he walked with me back to the throne hall.

Oh, little did I know then. Little did I know that my words would come true, but not in the way that he or I would have wanted. Little did I know just how great of a Pharaoh he would become, but that he would never be hailed as was his due, instead becoming obliterated and forgotten by history. Little did I know.

* * *

**And so Atem is finally offically Pharaoh! Not to worry though, this story is FAR from over. I've been keeping very busy during the summer, so I'll see how often I am able to update. In the meantime, please leave a review! Next chapter will be out in a week or so, if not sooner! :)**


	54. The Matter of a Queen

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh**

* * *

"Uncle Mad! Aunt Jani!" Ankhseheret came running at us when we were hardly through the door. Mahado bent down and scooped up the two-year-old in his arms. His face softened as she nestled against him. She had taken to calling us by our nicknames when she heard us doing so.

Iluy came crawling towards me, and I picked him up. As he laughed with delight and pressed his hands into my cheeks, I felt the old familiar longing for a child of my own. Mahado's eyes locked with mine, and he reached out with one hand and grasped mine.

"Ankhseheret and Iluy! For shame, not waiting for our guests to actually come in before greeting them!" Aramen scolded, laughing. Iluy was instantly reaching his arms out towards his mother, and I rather reluctantly relinquished him. Semni followed her and took his daughter from Mahado. They ushered us into the sitting room, where the other Sisters and Lord Sep-u-khamen were waiting. We added our gifts to the small pile before joining the rest of the party.

I took advantage of the bustle to take Aramen aside. "So you are well?" I asked anxiously.

"If you mean if I am still grieving for Tera, of course I am," she answered softly. "But I know now that eventually, life has to go on. She chose to end her life, but that doesn't mean that mine has to. I still have Semni, I still have my other sisters, and I still have my friends, especially you, and I still have my children. I have to be strong for them; I can't be grieving forever."

I pulled her into a hug. "Yes, we are all here for you."

"I've always known that." She managed a smile and linked her arm in mine. "Now come, I can't leave my guests alone for too long."

* * *

The aromatic smells that filled my nostrils sent my stomach growling. I tugged on Aramen's hand. "I'm famished, let's stop for a snack," I suggested.

She heartily agreed. "That smell is just too good to resist!" We quickly purchased some fried almonds and found a nearby table to sit at.

"This is such fun; I wonder what Mahado and Semni would think if they found out that we've now slipped out of the palace three times and mingled in the market like peasant woman," she said, a gleam in her eyes.

"I'm sure your husband wouldn't mind as much as mine," I replied with a giggle. "Mahado would have a fit if he knew, and he would scold me to no end for going out in secret without telling him and without taking a guard."

"But surely he'll have to find out eventually."

"I suppose, but I'm determined to keep it from him for as long as I can. Thank Aset it's his month of duty so he can't just pop into my chamber and find me gone. That's the one perk of him and I having separate quarters for the month. He thinks that I'm just taking an afternoon nap."

"You sure are taking advantage of your new position," she teased.

"But of course. Ah, to have a semblance of freedom once again. I would have never been able to do this if I were still… in my previous position," I said, noticing that anyone could overhear us at any moment." I had taken care to disguise my appearance with a bit of magic; it would not do to give myself away with my words.

"Oh come, don't you miss it even a tiny bit?" she asked

I gleefully shook my head. "Not a bit. Especially not those lower viziers. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, he's meeting with them right now. I do wonder what 'urgent' matter of business they will bring up first."

"Yet he has declared that you shall be known by your former title until he takes a wife," she noted, glancing around to make sure that nobody was eavesdropping. "Speaking of which, when will he propose to the girl? He's been eyeing her forever, it seems."

I sighed. "I know not. I thought that he had his heart set, but lately it seems that he has fulfilled my husband's prediction and become the ladies' man. Did you see how he was preening for all the noble ladies last night? Poor Mana was miserable the entire night, and he barely spoke one word to her. It has been like this for a week now."

"Well, you can't blame the boy for letting the attention and the power get to his head," she said with a little laugh. "Although I must say that it seems that he is just barely noticing the attention of the other ladies; I had thought him immune to it before, but apparently not."

I fumed. "I don't like this, I don't like it one bit. He's going to break a girl's heart sooner or later, or worse."

"As most handsome teenage boys will when they are his age. Come now, Jani, you cannot prevent him from following his body's instincts." We had arranged that she would call me by Mahado's nickname whenever we were out in the city in disguise so that nobody would guess that I was royalty.

"No, I don't suppose I can," I conceded with a sigh. "But that doesn't mean that I can try."

"Best of luck to you then. You will definitely need it." She ate the last almond out of her bag and said, "Now come, what shall we shop for today?"

"I've heard of a new shop with some fine silks, and there are bead vendors I should like to visit, now that I finally have some time to create jewelry again," I replied enthusiastically.

She rolled her eyes. "But of course, I should've known that you can never consider a trip into the city a success if you do not visit a bead vendor and come away with at least one purchase."

"Well, what can I say? They are my one passion," I answered with a laugh. "Having known me for so long, you should know this well by now."

"Very well, but do promise me that we'll stop by the herb store on the way back; I promised Lady Aseneit that I would restock her inventory." Arm in arm, we made our way to ravage the vendors.

* * *

I crept back into my room late that afternoon. I hid my wares in a chest and then moved to a mirror in order to change my appearance back to normal. Right when I had done so, I felt a pair of arms wrap around me, and I jumped. "By the gods, Mad! Don't startle me like that!"

"What? Can't I come creeping in on my wife at any time I like?" he asked innocently. He inhaled my hair. "You smell different…" he said suspiciously.

I froze. Trying to laugh it off, I replied, "That's ridiculous, Mad! I don't know what you mean!"

"But you do, as strange as that may be. I smell something smoky; it's as if you've been walking in the marketplace in Alexandria. It smells just like that." He roughly turned me around. "What's going on, Jani? You look like you're hiding something."

"Nonsense!" I said in a stilted voice.

"Oh I don't think so," he pressed. "You weren't in here when I came to fetch you earlier; the Pharaoh was asking for you. And I was searching all over for you, and you weren't in any of your usual spots." His grip on me tightened. "It seems as if you were outside the palace… were you meeting someone?"

"By Aset, Mad! Your imagination really runs wild sometimes!" I argued, pressing against him for a hard kiss. "Me, with a lover? That will happen when Ra rises in the west! My brother was looking for me, did you say? Well then, I must speak with him immediately!"

He sighed and released me. "Fine, Jani. I won't press the matter. But you know I hate it when you're like this, when you have something you won't tell me about. Tonight you will tell me, and you won't be able to wheedle out of it. I will know this little secret of yours."

"I shan't hold anything back," I promised sweetly. "As long as you promise that you won't be too furious."

He raised an eyebrow at this, but before he could say anything I hurried away.

It wasn't long before I heard a girl's high-pitched angry ranting, and I realized it was Mana's voice.

"And there she was… going on about the pleasure she had the night before! How you catered to her every pleasure, how you suckled at her breasts until she was begging for you to take her. Where did you learn a trick like that, I wonder? Perhaps when you were pleasuring the lady Teana?"

"Mana… please… that was just a vicious rumor that Neferet started just because she knew you would react this way, and Teana tricked me with a love potion, if you must know."

"If you had any sense, you would not have let yourself succumb to that potion! And I heard of your little affair with Neferet from at least five other women! So don't you come and coo to me and act as if you love me when clearly you don't!"

"Mana… my love…" Atem started

I heard a hard slap. "Don't you dare call me your love, for I am not!" she cried, a sob rising from her throat. "I bet you call all the other ladies your love too! I am not to be toyed with, Atem! I am not some slut that you can just have and forget about!"

"I never said that you were! Please, Mana, will you just listen to me? I was just playing with the other ladies to throw off my lower viziers. They are putting pressure on me to marry, you know, and until I can convince them that you are the only one for me and for Egypt, I have to keep up this charade."

"It is not a charade for you!" she screeched. "You actually enjoy this! I know you do, otherwise you wouldn't have fucked that slut!" I pressed a hand to my mouth, shocked that a girl her age would know such a dirty word.

"I got a little carried away, and it was foolish of me, I'll admit, but it was your face I imagined, and your body that I longed to feel under my hands."

I peeked around the corner, just in time to see Mana furiously knee Atem in the groin. He fell to his knees. "Pervert!" she spat. "Don't you ever dare think of making love to me, because it will never happen! I wish we had never met, I wish that you never made all those false promises and broke my heart like this!"

His hand reached out to her, "Mana… please…"

"Don't touch me! And don't ever think of speaking to me again!" she flounced away, tears spilling from her eyes. She abruptly turned around to face him. "I wish that you didn't have to be the Pharaoh. I wish that you could always be the Prince that I loved so much. Goodbye, my Pharaoh." Then she bumped head-on into me, but she was too angry and upset to care. She pushed past me, sobbing, rounded a corner, and was gone.

I stood frozen in shock for a moment, trying to process everything that I had just learned the in the argument between the two of them. I had overlooked that Atem had made love to Teana because he was in the throes of a love potion, but for him to willingly seduce another woman… I shook my head, hardly able to grasp the fact that he indeed was a man now, and an adolescent one at that. There was no doubt that his blood would boil with lust, but it was too soon for me. It seemed like just yesterday when he was the sweet-natured little boy that looked up to me. Now he was a man who could kill if need be, who could show a cruel streak (as I had seen with Yewera, and that I would see again very soon), and who could capture, seduce, and break a woman's heart.

I collected myself and came into view. Atem was still on the ground, and he looked up at me, looking like the wounded boy he used to be. "Jani… how much of that did you hear?"

"To be honest, all of it," I said matter-of-factly, holding out a hand to help him up. "Mahado told me that you were looking for me."

"I was… I wanted to talk to you. But then Mana found me and unleashed that tirade." He looked at the corner where she had disappeared. "Do you think she'll never speak to me again?"

"Well, if what I heard is correct, you've hurt her, and deeply. I cannot say that I would blame her, Atem. Is it true that you seduced another young woman and made love to her?"

He looked down in shame. "I did. But she made a move on me, and I got carried away. We found a dark corridor, and I only intended to keep it to kissing, but then she had her hand under my kilt and was pleasuring me, and I never experienced anything like that before, and I hardly remember the rest, only that I was pressing myself into her and that the pleasure was unlike anything I had ever known, and it was bliss for a moment, but then I realized what I was doing, and I tried to stop, but she wouldn't let me, and by the time I managed to pull away, it was too late and I had come and spilled my seed inside her."

At this he paused to catch his breath, and I looked at him agape. I had never thought that anyone could say so much in a single sentence. "By the gods, Atem, you've been really foolish, really foolish indeed."

"I know it, so can't you feel sorry for me at least a little bit?"

"For once, Atem, I'm afraid not. Your blood boils with lust now, but do you realize what could happen as a result of this lust? What if she were to become with child? What would happen then?" I paused, letting the weight of my questions settle into his skin. "You would have a bastard, Atem. Making love before one is married is permissible, especially for the man, but if a woman conceives a child out of wedlock, she is ruined and shamed. And any child you beget on a woman who is not your wife is a danger to your legitimate heir; he could become a contender for the throne, and what if he were to make a claim for it? You would have fratricide. You don't want that, do you?"

"No," he murmured, his lower lip quivering.

I sighed and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Come, let's go for a ride."

We readied our horses in silence, and once we were out by the river, outside the palace gates, I said. "So, what is all of this about?"

"The lower viziers, when I met with them today, said that the sooner I choose a wife and a queen, the better. It is my duty to produce an heir to safeguard the line of Horus."

"Unfortunately, they are right."

"But they started listing off all of their eligible female relations, and none of them suit me. They are all simpering, stupid noble ladies who are groomed to look pretty but not have a single thought for themselves. All they do is just paint themselves and spread gossip. I've spent plenty of time with them already as it is; I don't want to spend the rest of my life with a woman who has no skills except weaving and spinning and whatever else it is that young ladies do."

"But if they are skilled in the bedroom, then surely that is all that is necessary," I said sarcastically.

This was lost on him. He looked at me gravely. "But I want a woman who is my equal, one who would be my best friend. I want what you and Mahado have; I want true love. I want Mana." At this he let out a sad sigh. "But it seems the viziers are against her for some reason, even though she is just as noble as the other ladies."

"That's just it, I'm afraid. Her noble blood is rather questionable, and perhaps it is not as deep-rooted as the others."

"Perhaps," he admitted, "and there is the fact that she is training to be an elite _hekau_, which, according to the viziers' standards, is impermissible. A woman who is to be Queen of Egypt is not to have a useful occupation. In fact, any independent woman who has a mind of her own would be a poor match for me," he whined.

I chuckled. "How fortunate I am to have been born into the royal family, for I would never have managed to marry into it otherwise."

His lips curved into a small smile. "Oh, but for a woman like you, any man would fight to have you, even if he was a Pharaoh. So, I've been playing the game that you did; I've been toying around and flirting with the other ladies, but Mana, I'm afraid, isn't too keen on the idea."

"Probably because you're playing the game a bit too well. I did flirt with the men, but I sure didn't rut with them. You've taken it a bit too far, even for a man," I said sternly.

He looked down at his hands. "I know that, and I wanted to explain to her, but I wanted to see you first. Unfortunately, the gossip spread faster than I would have liked, and she ambushed me and unleashed all her anger. I hope she'll forgive me… I won't be able to stand it if she's angry at me for eternity."

"Well… you did sort of kiss her and call her your love, and then rutted with someone else. I don't think she'll forgive you easily. If I were her, I would not."

"Even for me?"

"Atem, you must know that I am strict on rules of fidelity. A false man is one of the lowest creatures to walk the House of Geb. But you are my brother, so I don't entirely despise you, although I must say that you've been very foolish indeed."

"I'm glad of it," he said in a small voice. "I already have incurred the wrath and hatred of my best friend; I should die if I incur your fury too."

"I'll always love you, Atem," I murmured. "Have no doubt of that."

He gazed at me with shining eyes. "You have no idea what that means to me, Sister." He looked out over the river. "If only I can somehow win Mana's heart back… but I can't deny that I've wanted her for the longest time now. Every night I'm tortured by the most erotic dreams, and they're all of her. But now that I've tasted the delights of another woman's body, I… I want _more_. It's like this fire inside me that's eating me alive. Even if the woman isn't Mana, I take one look at the curves of her breasts beneath the sheer linen and feel my blood stir… what is wrong with me, Jani?"

"I think you had best consult Mahado about this," I said. "He was a growing boy once too; perhaps he can help you." For once I was at a loss about what to do to help my brother control his insatiable lust. "Just promise me you'll keep your shaft inside your kilt for now, please?"

"I'll do my best," he said.

"Pleasure yourself if you have to," I said, being blunter than I intended. "Better to spill your seed on your own hand than to spill it in some woman's belly and beget a bastard. I mean it, Atem. This has always been a serious matter, but it is a hundredfold for you since you are the Pharaoh."

"Yes, now that I am Pharaoh," he repeated bitterly. "Thank you, Jani, for reminding me of that little fact, and that everything has to be different now." With that, he gave Sobek a sharp kick, and his steed whinnied and cantered back to the palace, leaving me alone with Nephthys on the riverbank and shaking my head.

* * *

"So, my love, what was this afternoon all about?" Mahado took the brush from my hand and began to slowly and sensually brush my hair, running his fingers through as he did so.

"Which part? The talk with my brother, or beforehand?"

"Before the both of them, when you were supposedly napping," he answered tartly.

I nervously twisted my hands in my lap and looked at him in the mirror. "Can this not wait till tomorrow? I'm awfully tired, and you're not supposed to be in here anyway; it's your month of duty, after all."

"I'm not leaving until you tell me everything. I'll stay here all night if I have to, my month of duty be damned," he said, his voice low and hard. "I mean it, Jani. No more evading the question. Tell me what you were up to."

"Nothing important," I said with a sigh. "Aramen and I went out into the city to have a little bit of fun is all."

His hand froze. "You _what_? All alone? Without any guards? Are you mad?"

"I was with Aramen," I said defensively. "And the both of us are perfectly capable of defending ourselves. Not that the need would arise; the city is perfectly safe in the daytime."

"But still… why? What business would you have in the city? And why keep it a secret from me?"

"Because I wanted to get out of the palace for a little while, and exercise my new freedom, and I wasn't sure if you would like the idea, what with how protective you are and all. I figured that what you didn't know couldn't hurt you."

"Oh it can't, can it?" he challenged. "What if that 'little bit of fun', as you put it, involved meeting another man?"

"Mad, my love…" I turned around to face him and took his face between my hands. "Do you really doubt my love for you so much that you would accuse me of adultery?"

"Well, no," he admitted. "I've had no reason to. But I still can't completely eradicate my worst fear from my mind- the second worst, that is, after losing you to death."

I kissed him deeply. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm still madly in love with you, and Aramen is still madly in love with Semni. The two of you are the only men we need in our lives, and that will never change."

"Even as we're getting old?" he asked with a laugh.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh please, I'm just as old as you are, and Aramen is but three years younger than Semni, with him being the same age as we are. We've still quite a few years to go yet."

"Many more years," he concurred. "May it be, from your mouth to Aset's ears." He kissed me again, his hands moving to cup my breasts. "I can't wait until another week is over and I'm back in our bed again," he said huskily. "And you can continue these little escapades, provided that you always go with Aramen, disguise yourself, and bring me back some of those fried almonds that I smelled on your breath earlier today."

I giggled as I nestled into his embrace. "I'll be sure to find the best in the city for you the next time we go," I whispered into his ear.

* * *

A week passed, and Mana still showed no sign of forgiving Atem. He would cast piteously pleading glances her way, and she would pass by him as if he was as insignificant as a pillar. The disappointed look that crossed my brother's face whenever this happened was heart-wrenching, but I decided not to interfere. Whatever was between them was up to them to confront, and this was a hard lesson that my brother had to learn about women: they are not to be toyed with. The sooner he learned this lesson and got all the lust out of his blood, the better- a sentiment that, for once, I shared with the lower viziers, who continued to pester him about choosing a queen as soon as possible.

Likewise, I chose not to intercede on behalf of the lower viziers. Lord Sep-u-khamen sought me out one afternoon after meeting with Atem and when I was stealing a private moment in the lotus garden. "Yes, Lord Sep-u-khamen?" I greeted casually. "What is it?"

"My Queen, I must plead with you on behalf of the other lower viziers to reason with your brother. He must choose a queen as soon as possible; the House of Horus is in danger until he produces a legitimate heir."

"I have told you and the others before, Lord Sep-u-khamen, and I will tell you again: this is a matter that I shall leave entirely to my brother. He alone must decide who he will take as a wife; it is not a decision that I or anyone else can make for him."

"Can you not give him a little prodding?" he insisted.

"I have spoken with him on the matter of seducing the other women, and that is all the scolding and lecturing that I believe will suffice on the subject," I said curtly. "That is my final answer to you and the others, Lord Sep-u-khamen. Pray let them know my sentiments so that I shall no longer be bothered with this pesky pleading. It will not sway me."

He sighed, bowed, and left me to my own devices.

I noticed that Mana and Mahado were both missing at the feast that night. I had received a brief note from my husband saying that he and Mana were having an extra-long training session, he said that they would be absent. I paid it no mind, but I could see that Atem was only momentarily perplexed by her absence before he was bombarded by the attention of the other ladies. Their perfume was overwhelming, and their dresses were so low-cut and so sheer that I was shocked that their fathers let them dress in such a fashion. Some had the tops of their breasts exposed more than was considered tasteful, but I could see Atem's eyes drawn to these like bees to honey. It was all I could do to not kick him under the table and remind him of our discussion on the matter.

I ate as quickly as possible and then hurriedly took my leave. The sight of Atem ogling at these women disgusted me. I considered passing a decree banning such outlandish dress, but then I figured that it was not worth the effort; the ladies would dress as they wished. They only followed my fashions out of deference to my being the Lady of the Two Lands for the time being.

Upon entering the bedroom, I saw that candles had been lit, and I smelled the fresh wax. Suddenly, someone flung a blindfold over my eyes and seized me from behind. I let out a little scream, but it was silenced by a hand clapped over my mouth. "Well, if it isn't my prey taking the bait I have set for her," Mahado's voice said, and I could hear the smirk.

"Mad! What are you doing?"

"Something that I have been itching to do the entire month I was serving in the temple," he whispered seductively, his breath tickling my earlobe. "I would fantasize about this every night, and it was the thought of making it come true that kept me going."

I laughed. "Enough with this, can you please take this ridiculous thing off me?"

"Ah, I'm afraid not," he said, giving my behind a playful slap, which immediately made me excited. "You're keeping this on for the entire night." With that, he picked me up and threw me not-so-gently on the bed, and his hands pulled my dress away with record speed.

"But if I can't see a thing, what in the House of Geb am I supposed to do?" I asked exasperatedly, involuntary moans tearing from my throat as his hands found my erect nipples and his mouth traced a feathery trail down my neck.

"Just lay back and enjoy every sensation, and learn to instinctively trust your body," he replied naughtily. "You have never experienced anything like this before, Jani, and believe me when I say that not being able to see what I'm about to do to you will increase the pleasure a hundredfold." He proceeded to prove himself right.

* * *

All too soon, Senupi started his reliable barking. I sleepily stirred, feeling as if I had just fallen asleep. Mahado was already removing himself from beneath me. "Come on, my love, rise and shine," he teased, mischievously slapping my behind.

I groaned and tightened my arms around him. "Not yet… can't I sleep for a little longer?"

Suddenly I felt myself being lifted up, and I yelped, clinging onto my husband. "I knew that was just the way to wake you up," he said, laughing. "Come on, a nice hot bath is what you need." I laid my head against his shoulder and dozed until the hot water woke me up. Certain areas of my body were deliciously sore, and he massaged them with extra gentleness before moving to my hair. He knew that I especially loved it when he washed my hair.

"Ohhh… that feels gooood," I purred.

"Awake yet?" he asked.

"Oh, I might need a little more… _incentive_," I tempted.

He gently nibbled at the nape of my neck, and then bit me not too gently. I jumped. "A little bit more than what I was asking for," I gasped.

"Well, whatever works," he replied with a low chuckle. I proceeded to rub oil on him, gently kissing the red welts my nails had left on his back the night before.

"So how was the extra-long training session with Mana last night?"

He sighed. "She still seems to have lost her motivation and has been moping around like a lovesick puppy. I tried to snap her out of it, but it's not working. She's even been skipping a few lessons. This is going too far. We've got to do something to reconcile her with the Pharaoh."

"It's that bad?"

He turned around to face me. "Yes. I might have to resort to giving her extra assignments at the library if she keeps this up, and you know that she doesn't like reading."

I shook my head. "I don't know what's gotten into my brother. I saw him kiss her with my own eyes and call her his love, and then the next thing she is railing at him for seducing another woman."

"He's an adolescent boy, and one who has just realized that he has more power now that he is the first in the land. Only the most disciplined of men would not let that get to his head," my husband observed.

"I was hoping he would be the exception," I replied ruefully.

"I'm sure that with your guidance, his head will clear. In the meantime, I'm really beginning to get worried about Mana. Keep an eye on her, will you?"

"A broken heart is a painful thing. I'm sure if you just give her time, she will be back to normal. Try to keep her on a tighter leash, and she'll only resent you even more," I said.

"Still, I don't like the way things are looking," he replied tersely. He wouldn't elaborate, and, against my better judgment, I didn't ask him what he meant exactly.

* * *

A few nights later, Mahado did make good on his threat and sent Mana to the library, and she chose to go instead of going to dinner. I took this opportunity to confront my brother.

"Atem, you have to find a way to reconcile with Mana," I said in a low voice so that nobody else could hear. Mahado talked to the other courtiers sitting nearby in order to distract them.

He dropped his mask of a smile, and his face was haunted. "She won't talk to me, Sister. I've tried everything! She's too proud to try and forgive me."

"But surely you can see that she has not been herself of late? Tell me, Brother. What do you feel for her?"

"Every time I look about a woman, it's her I see. I swear it to it, Jani. Every time I think about seducing one of the women, I always think about what it's like to make love to her. She's the only one I truly love, but I'm trying to play this little charade until I can make the lower viziers see that. I just… got carried away and caught up in the game is all."

"Then tell her the truth, but do it in the humblest way possible, on your knees if you have to. If you love her, if you truly love her, then you'll have to do whatever it takes to win her back."

At this, he rose to his feet. "I will! I'll tell her! I'll do it right now! Where is she?"

I turned to Mahado and laid a hand on his sleeve. He rotated towards me with a smile. "Mad, you sent Mana to the library, did you not?" I asked.

"So I did."

"How long has she been there?" Atem pressed.

"If I'm not mistaken, my Pharaoh, she's been there for about an hour now."

"Would you terribly mind if I interrupted her studies? I really need to talk to her!"

Mahado glanced around. "I'm afraid that for decorum's sake, you'll have to wait until the dancers are done, my Pharaoh."

Atem settled down with a huff, and I could tell that he wanted nothing more than to bolt right out of the banquet hall. I gently patted him on the shoulder. "A little longer couldn't hurt, Brother."

Finally, the musicians were packing away their instruments, and Atem could slip away. "Come with me, please, Jani. You too, Mahado."

We obliged him. The corridors were eerily empty and quiet, and I tightened my grip on my husband's hand. "Something wrong, Jani?" he asked, as if he could sense my uneasiness.

I tried to shake it off. "It's nothing, I suppose, but something just doesn't feel right."

He looked at me quizzically and then wrapped an arm around my waist. We reached the library, but there was no sign of Mana. The librarian bowed before us. "My Pharaoh, and my Queen, how may I be of service to you?"

"I sent Mana here a few hours ago, and she was supposed to still be here," Mahado said.

The librarian looked perplexed. "But nobody has been here, my lord. I thought that they were all at the feast."  
Mahado and I looked at each other, alarmed. "But where can she be?" Atem asked frantically.

"That is not like her at all, even in her melancholy," my husband said anxiously. He turned on his heel. "Come on, we have to find her immediately!"

I felt fear pounding in my stomach as I realized that my foreboding feeling might actually be rooted in legitimacy. We ran through corridor after corridor. "Where can she be?" I asked breathlessly.

Mahado closed his eyes, meditating. Then he opened them. "This way." We followed him at the run.

Then we heard a whimper, and I asked, "Did you hear that? Is it her?"

"What? I didn't hear anything!" Atem said.

We rounded another corner, and there she was, crying and whimpering beneath a man who had his back to us. He was thrusting into her brutally, and with each thrust she cried out. I froze in shock for a moment, and then I wasted no time in conjuring a sword and driving it into his back. The man groaned in pain and rolled off her, and I recognized Kenut's face. Mahado lifted all the spells, and moved as swiftly as a snake to restrain Atem, who was lunging at him and panting, "Let me at him! Let me at him! Unhand me, Mahado! I command you!"

I saw hesitation flicker across my husband's face, and he relinquished his hold before quickly casting a Shielding Charm so that my brother could not touch Kenut. I ran towards Mana. "Mana!" I cried. "Are you all right?" She whimpered in reply, too ashamed to lift her eyes to meet mine.

Kenut laughed. "Such a delicious little treat…"

"You…you vile, sick, bastard!" Atem cried, his throat constricted with anger. "I could kill you right now!"

"No, my Pharaoh!" Mahado approached him. "You mustn't act rashly."

The guards came running. "What's going on, my Pharaoh? What has happened?"

"A girl was just raped, that's what happened, you incompetent imbeciles! Why were you not alert?"

The guards looked bewildered. "But… we didn't hear anything, sire. Nothing at all."

"But… how?"

"Kenut had cast an Invisibility Charm and a Silencing Charm," Mahado explained. "But Jani and I, with our heka being more powerful than his, were able to look past these spells. That's why I was able to find her."

"Take that scoundrel to the dungeons, and place him in the darkest and filthiest cell. I'll deal with him tomorrow," my brother snarled. The guards immediately moved to do his bidding.

"Shouldn't we tend to his injury first?" I asked.

"No. Let him bleed. I'll send a physician down later," he snapped. He waited until the guards were gone before rushing to Mana's side. His facial expression completely transformed from one of cruelty to one of tenderness and pain. "Mana…" He moved to gather her in his arms, but she recoiled from his touch, trembling fiercely. Scooping her up in his arms, he gingerly stood up and swept towards the medical wing, Mahado and I following.

He rushed into the room. "Send for Lady Aseneit immediately," he ordered the nearby servant. The maid immediately bowed and left. He set her down gently on a bed, snatched the jar of ointment from my hands and a cloth and began tending to her wounds himself. All the while, Mana stared ahead, her eyes empty, seeing nothing, and she could not stop trembling.

"Oh Mana…" he murmured quietly. "I'm so sorry… I'm sorry for everything… this is all my fault… I wanted to tell you… you're the only one for me, and you always have been. I didn't mean to hurt you, and I should have protected you…" He folded his arms around her, but she remained rigid and unmoving. He pulled back to look at her. "Mana… please say something."

"Get away from me," she whispered. Atem looked at her disbelievingly, and she became hysterical. "Go! Get out! Now!" I nodded to him, and he got up and left.

Lady Aseneit came in. "Oh, my poor dear," she murmured, moving to tend to her multiple bruises. "What happened?"

"She was raped," I explained shakily. "We found her being brutally ravished."

Her eyes widened in shock. "If that is the case, I must inspect the damage. Excuse us, if you will." Mahado nodded and drew me out of the room with an arm around my waist.

Atem was waiting for us. "Well?"

"Lady Aseneit is inspecting the damage done to her body," I said numbly. "It's my fault… I should have taken your request to protect her and keep an eye on her more seriously. I have failed you, Brother."

Mahado shushed me with a finger on my lips. "No, Jani. The fault is mine; I sent her to the library without an escort, and just when I was saying that I didn't like the way things were looking, no less. I had noticed some of the men ogling her, but I didn't think they would actually go so far… forgive me, my Pharaoh, for the failure is mine."

"If anybody is at fault, it is me and me alone," Atem said, his voice choking. "If I hadn't hurt her, there would have been no need for this extra training and penance, and she wouldn't have had to go to the library… if I hadn't hurt her, none of this would have happened."

"Well, there's no use dwelling on this now," I said, wishing to end the blame game we were starting. "The important thing now is to rehabilitate her, if she needs, and make sure that she recovers as quickly as possible. Also, we must ensure that this never happens to any other young maiden."

My brother nodded, and Lady Aseneit approached us. "I am sorry, but there is nothing more I can do. Her vulva is not too terribly injured, but only time can heal her emotional wounds. Her maidenhood has been completely stolen, I'm afraid."

Atem gave a low cry at that and clutched at me for support. "Can I go in there and talk to her?" he asked.

"If she will see you," Lady Aseneit consented. Atem went in, but then quickly came back out. "She still won't talk to me."

"In that case, my Pharaoh, it is best to just leave her be, until she is ready to speak. She will be here until she is recovered, although I may send her to the Temple of Aset if she needs to."

"Do keep us posted, Lady Aseneit," I requested mildly, still in shock.

"I will, my lady Queen," she replied. With nothing more to say and to do, we all took our leave. Atem went off without another word to Mahado or me, and my husband gently steered me to our chambers. He tenderly undressed me and pulled my night shift over my head, changed himself, and wrapped me in his arms. We didn't say a single word, but he held me all night long as my body shook and silent tears flowed from my eyes.

* * *

"Bring in the scoundrel!" Atem cried out, hatred etched in every line of his face. I looked uneasily at him, and then at Shimon, whose face betrayed no emotion. A very ragged-looking Kenut was dragged in by the guards.

"What has he done?" Akhnadin asked.

"This man was found raping Mana. For such an atrocity, I ask permission to be granted for his execution." Despite myself, I gasped at this, even though secretly I thought that Kenut deserved no less.

"Unfortunately, my Pharaoh, that cannot be granted. The law of the land doesn't call for such a heavy punishment for the mere rape of a lowly noble girl like Mana."

"But a man was executed for attempting to rape my mother!" I protested.

My uncle looked at us ruefully. "But she was royalty, and that is a different story. For one as Mana, I'm afraid that the worst punishment the man can face is life in prison."

"Perhaps we shall put him under the Millennium Trial?" Seto suggested, stepping forward. "That way we can put the evil inside him to good use."

Atem immediately warmed up to the idea. "Yes, but have him castrated first." Kenut let out a mangled cry at that, but my brother remained as unmoving as stone. The guards dragged him away to do his bidding.

When he was gone, my brother turned to Isis. "Lady Isis, I must request that you use the power of your Millennium Necklace to find if there was anyone involved. I suspect some plotting from one of the lower viziers."

She bowed. "Yes, my Pharaoh. I shall see it to consequently. However, I shall need a great deal of concentration for such a task." He waved his hand, and she glided out of the throne room.

With that, the other Guardians were dismissed. Mahado lingered to catch my eye, and I nodded to him, meaning to say, _I will see you after the lower viziers_. He seemed to understand and gave me a wink before disappearing beyond the doors.

In no time, Isis returned. She whispered into my brother's ear before taking her leave, and Atem's face curled into a snarl as the lower viziers were shown in.

After they made their obeisance, Atem leapt to his feet. "Lord Amunhotep!" he barked.

The vizier jumped. "My Pharaoh?"

"The Priestess Isis informed me that you bribed Kenut to rape Mana, and when he expressed reluctance to do so after initially agreeing, you intoxicated him with a powerful drug. It was you who suggested that he use the Invisibility and Silencing Spells on her. You snake! You shall be castrated as well, and I hereby exile you from Egypt! You will have until the end of the day to remove yourself and your family from the palace. Guards, see him out!"

"This is an outrage!" he protested. "You only have the word of one magical necklace! I am the vizier! You cannot do this!"

"Good-bye, and good riddance," my brother growled.

Lord Sep-u-khamen hesitantly stepped forward. "I'm afraid there is more bad news, my liege," he said, keeping his voice as steady as possible.

Atem glared at him. "Proceed."

"Unfortunately, now that the girl is no longer a virgin, the law and tradition of your predecessors state that you cannot marry her and make her your Queen. I'm sorry, my Pharaoh, but now you absolutely must choose another woman."

His eyes widened. "But… but… surely I can declare her maidenhood to be restored to her? It was stolen from her, after all. Or I can change the law so that she can be my queen? Surely there must be something that I can do?" I laid my hand on his shoulder to comfort him, not caring about what royal protocol dictated for decorum in the throne room.

"This is more than just some law, my Pharaoh. For generations upon generations, the Queen of Egypt has been a virgin touched by none other than the Pharaoh, devoting her maidenhood to the Two Lands and to the goddesses who safeguard the throne. To go against this will incur the wrath of Aset, and such a tradition cannot be easily broken."

"But I shall do it!" Atem declared.

"Alas, I'm afraid that this is the one aspect in which your power is limited, my Pharaoh. We viziers cannot stand by this. Therefore, it cannot be done." The fight went out of my brother's shoulders, and something close to pity appeared in Lord Sep-u-khamen's face. "I'm sorry. But you know, your father broke with tradition by taking only one wife. You can take Mana as a concubine once you marry, and should your queen be unable to produce children, you can raise her children to be your heirs. She can be the mother to the next Pharaoh of Egypt."

"But that's not fair to her! She belongs by my side, and no other!"

"I'm afraid that it cannot be, my Pharaoh," he said sympathetically. "She can only be your concubine, but no more, and no less. And you must choose a queen soon."

"Enough! There has to be a way around this! There MUST be!" Without another word, my brother stormed out of the throne room, leaving the rest of us speechless.

Lord Sep-u-khamen sighed. "I had a feeling that he would take this hard."

"Did you have a hand in Mana's rape?" I asked.

His eyes widened. "Of course not!"

"We could never condone such a vile act," Lord Wasithosef added, finally speaking up. "Even if we did not favor the girl as the future Queen of Egypt, we would have never taken such measures to ensure that she couldn't become the Pharaoh's consort. It was entirely Lord Amunhotep's doing, and we had no knowledge of it, we swear by the Feather of Ma'at!"

I nodded. "Very well. I don't think we will be discussing much business today then. You are both dismissed. Now if you will excuse me, I must go and find my brother."

I quickly walked out, and the ushers opened the doors for me. Mahado was standing by a nearby pillar, waiting for me. I rushed into his open arms. "What happened, my love? I saw the Pharaoh storming out, and he seemed to be most upset."

I inhaled his musky scent, collecting myself before answering, "They told him that Mana can never be Queen now, now that her virginity has been stolen from her. The Queen of Egypt has always been a virgin upon marriage; it is a tradition going back thousands of years, and one that cannot be broken. The best that he can do is taking another woman to be his queen, and Mana as a concubine."

"By Thoth," he softly said, running a hand through my hair. "At least he is finally rid of Lord Amunhotep."

"But not before he dealt the final blow!" I cried, pounding a frustrated fist against his chest. He flinched, and then held me close as the hot tears rolled down my face.

After a little while, I lifted my face to his. "I must find Atem. Any idea where he went?"

"If he is anything like you, he always seeks the solace of the horses whenever he's upset," he answered, giving me a swift kiss before releasing me.

Sure enough, I found Atem leaning against Sobek, bitterly sobbing. "Atem?" He didn't seem to hear me, and I slowly entered the stall and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

Finally, he lifted his head and his sorrowful eyes met mine. "What good is being Pharaoh if I can't have what I want the most?" he asked angrily. "Gods… forgive me… forgive me for being such a fool."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please leave a review too! I just started the next chapter, so I'm not sure when it will be out, especially since I'll be on vacation for the weekend. Hopefully I'll have it up soon!**


	55. The BlueEyed Girl and the White Dragon

**Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh**

* * *

Aramen's cries echoed across the room, and I gently mopped her brow, murmuring a prayer to Aset and Hathor to help with the labor, which was taking a great deal longer than it should for a woman who had already borne two children.

"You're fretting too much, Aramen. You must relax and let your body do its work," Isis said, mixing a brew to give to her while Lady Aseneit placed a bowl of steaming water in between her legs to ease the process.

"I just want this to be done with already!" she panted. Another groan wracked her body, and I suppressed a cry of pain as she squeezed the life out of my hand.

I quickly formulated another story in my mind. "Shall I tell you about Mahado and the snake?" The ones about the gods had already been exhausted of their magic, leaving me with no other stories except those from my and Mahado's childhood.

"Yes, please do!" she begged as another contraction pulled a cry from her lips.

"Hang in there, my love!" Semni's voice called out. "I'll be out here waiting!"

"So, it was a long time ago, when we had both seen eleven years in this world, I believe. One night, I had a dream in which I saw my brother, and a snake hovered behind him. I couldn't sleep, but somehow I ran into Mad, and he promised that he would keep an eye on my brother for me. A few days later, I was summoned, but I was told that it was him who had been bitten, not my brother. We saw him to the medical wing, and you should have seen the fury on Meta's face! She scolded me for 'riding out and wreaking havoc' everywhere', but I would have done it five times again just to see her face swell with her anger."

A small smile tugged at Aramen's lips. "Yes, I remember that. She really was quite the sight whenever she was angry."

"Indeed she was," Isis chimed in, a look of nostalgia on her face. "Ah, such good times Jasana has had incurring her wrath."

I chuckled. "And I don't think I told you about the one where we created the silver rings, did I?"

Aramen shook her head, but just then a particularly strong contraction came, and Lady Aseneit said, "I see a head! Time to start pushing, Aramen!"

"Well, just in time," I said lightly. We all helped her onto the birthing brick. A maid stood behind, while Isis and I stood on either side, gently murmuring encouragement to her. She grunted and heaved, and finally a small body came slithering into Lady Aseneit's waiting arms. After a sharp slap against the baby's spine, it started to wail, and Aramen collapsed with relief and exhaustion.

We helped her into bed, and Semni rushed in with Mahado in tow. "Well?" he demanded of us.

Lady Aseneit smiled at him, wrapping the baby in clean linen and placing it in Aramen's arms. "It's a fine, healthy girl."

A smile crinkled his worry-stricken face. "Another daughter, another beautiful little goddess," he murmured in awe as he approached the bed and looked down on his child.

"She shall be Ahmose, named for one of the great queens of our history," Aramen said softly, stroking her baby's cheek with the back of her fingers.

"A wonderful name," I praised. "Well done, Aramen. And thank Aset that I didn't have to tell you the story about the silver rings!"

Mahado's arm came around me. "Oh dear… so now you've gone on to stories about us. Tell me, Aramen, which of my secrets did my lovely wife give away to distract you from your pain?"

"Not much, only the time when you got bitten by a snake… and about the time when someone pranked you so that you were walking around kiltless."

He laughed. "Nice try, Aramen, but such an occasion never happened."

"What if you just forgot?" Seeing my husband blanch, she chuckled. "Really, I'm only jesting."

"I wouldn't have minded the view," I said mischievously.

Mahado grinned wickedly and gave me a hard kiss in return. Then he yawned, prompting me to do the same. "Well then, I believe that some much-needed rest is in order for all involved," he declared.

I glanced at the hourglass. "But soon we have to be meeting with my brother and the other Guardians," I lamented.

His face fell. "Oh right, I forgot about that…"

Semni looked at us worriedly. "I shouldn't have summoned you here."

"Nonsense, my friend! You would have incurred our wrath if you did not, Jani's most of all. She wouldn't have forgiven you for making her miss the birth of yet another child!"

"It's a good thing you didn't have to tell me that other story, Jasana," Aramen said. "For surely you will need to save it for the next one."

We all laughed at that. Then Semni courteously escorted us out. "Come, my driver will take you back to the palace."

I leaned against Mahado as the chariot raced back to the palace. "Perhaps you can plead exhaustion and skip the meeting," he murmured to me.

I shook my head. "If you and Isis can survive a few more hours without sleep, then surely I can too. Besides, my brother will need me there."

But during the meeting, I could barely keep my eyes open, and I was hardly paying attention to what was being said, thinking only about my soft pillow. The other Guardians were dismissed, and Mahado came up and wound an arm around my waist. "My apologies, my Pharaoh, but my wife has been up all night attending to Aramen during her labor, and she needs to rest.

"But I need Jani with me; the lower viziers are next, and they're bound to bring up the matter of a wife again. Please, Jani, at least be with me for this meeting, and then I promise you that you can sleep all you want." I had to admit that at sixteen, with his face becoming more chiseled by the gods, and his body as well, the begging look in his eyes had a more potent effect.

I sighed. "All right, Atem, but this had better be short and quick."

"I'll do my best to make sure it is. She'll be back with you in no time, Mahado," he promised. My husband relented and slid out of the throne room.

The other two viziers came in and made their obeisance. I suppressed a yawn as Atem acknowledged them. "What business do you bring to me today, my viziers?"

Lord Sep-u-khamen stepped forward. "My liege, I must reiterate that it is of the utmost importance that you choose a queen as soon as is possible. The line of Horus must be secured through an heir!"

My brother let out a sigh. "Hear me now, Lord Sep-u-khamen. Rest assured that I will choose a queen in time. I want to ensure that she is a woman that I can love, and such a matter must not be made lightly and in haste."

"And in the meantime, who shall your heir be if, Ra forbid, the unthinkable happens?" he pressed.

"My sister," Atem answered carelessly. "And her children."

"But the Queen Sahm-Aset Jasana has yet to produce any living children!"

"She will in time, I'm sure of that," my brother replied smoothly.

Lord Wasithosef turned to me. "Then, forgive me, my Queen, but the pressure falls to you to produce an heir as soon as possible. Egypt must have an heir."

I bit back an angry retort. "Rest assured that my husband and I are doing our best to conceive, Vizier Wasithosef," I replied politely. "Now, if you will excuse me, I'm afraid I must retire, or else I shall fall asleep immediately." Stiffly I bowed before my brother, and groggily stumbled out of the throne room into my husband's waiting arms.

"Oh, Jani," Mahado murmured tenderly, hoisting me up into his arms. "Couldn't keep your eyes open for another moment longer, could you?"

"No, and I thought it best to get out of there before I let my anger get a better hold of me," I whispered against his hair.

"Why? What happened this time?"

"Atem has made me his heir, and Lord Wasithosef said that now it is my duty to provide an heir for Egypt. By Aset! Providing an heir for the throne should be my brother's job, not mine!"

We arrived in our bedroom, and Mahado gently laid me down. "It will be in time, but for now, you're all Egypt has, my love."

He moved to cover me with a blanket, but suddenly I was seized with powerful, lustful desire, and I grabbed him and kissed him. "Well, if it is my duty, then I suppose that we mustn't waste any time in fulfilling it." I moved on top of him, kissing him even harder, and my nails raking at his kilt.

"By Thoth! I thought you were absolutely exhausted!" he murmured against my mouth as his hands pawed at my breasts.

"I've changed my mind, I can be awake for just a little while longer," I replied seductively, grinding my hips against his.

He rolled over so that I was beneath him. "Oh, I think I have more energy than you, Jani. Let me do most of the work this time." Before I could even reply, he moved his head to suckle at a breast, letting his tongue swirl slowly over my nipple until it became a little hard pebble and the moan rumbled throughout my entire frame. He loved me sweetly and gently until I began thinking that the whole encounter was just a very erotic dream, and eventually I did dream and could not tell where reality ended and the dream began.

* * *

Mana stood, trembling. With a grim determination on his face, Mahado conjured spikes of water. "Now remember, Mana, all that I have told you." Without another word, my husband sent them flying at her, and they immediately penetrated her weak shield and soaked her.

Mahado sighed. "For Thoth's sake, Mana, you didn't even conjure the shield that time!"

Mana looked down at the ground, ashamed. "Forgive me, Master," she said softly. "But I cannot. I just can't." Her lower lip quivered, and tears filled her eyes.

His anger and frustration dissipated as he approached her and placed two hands on his shoulders. "Mana, it has been over a year," he murmured. "You cannot let this ruin the rest of your life. Contrary to what you believe, your heka is still intact; you are only holding yourself back, and I cannot imagine why."

"Yes, it's been over a year, and my heka was no better than it was back then!" she cried, the tears spilling from her eyes. "You would do well to find yourself a new apprentice, Master."

The hard determination reappeared on his face. "No, Mana. I will not. It may not seem this way to you, but your heka has made small improvements in the past year. If you would stop hindering yourself, your power can be restored to what it once was. Is that not true, Jani?" He looked to me, and I nodded in agreement. "I refuse to give up on you so easily, but what good is that if you have already given up on yourself?"

Mana collapsed against my husband at that, sobbing in earnest. "It's too late… my heka is gone… I'm useless now…"

My husband looked at me as he held her, and he sighed. "Perhaps it is time for you to seek out Isis; perhaps she can give you the peace you need. But I expect you to be back here tomorrow, Mana, and we shall continue where we left off." He conjured a handkerchief, and she took it and walked away, still sniffling. Once she was out of sight, my husband settled down on the nearest bench with an exhausted groan. Wordlessly I walked over and cradled his head in my arms, running my fingers through his sweat-streaked hair. He wrapped his arms around the back of my thighs and buried his face into my bosom.

"Poor girl, she's still greatly affected," I murmured.

He nodded. "But it's not only that, it seems like she doesn't want to restore her heka, as if she actually wants to be stuck in this deep depression."

"Yet she's making improvement; she's finally started to act normally around my brother again. It seems like their friendship will be salvaged."

"It's high time that happened too," he said wearily. "This isn't the first time that she suggested that I take on a new apprentice and Master Thutmose said as much. But I refuse to give up on her. Helping her restore her heka and set her back on the path to becoming a _hekau_ is the least that I can do for her."

He pulled me onto his lap, and I wiggled to make myself more comfortable. "I'm sure that with a little more time, she will be back to her old self," I said hopefully. "She is resilient, although I can't imagine what it must be like for her, having been ravished like that. That ordeal must have lasted the better part of an hour if she was never at the library."

"You need not say that, that has been plaguing me for all this time," he said shortly.

"It wasn't your fault, my love," I murmured softly, planting my lips on his forehead.

"Don't try coating the situation with honey, Jani. I am at least partly to blame for not sending her with an escort."

I sighed. "Well, if you insist on taking on some of the blame, then I must as well. Atem asked me to look after her and protect her, and I didn't think that she needed it, and so I didn't take his request seriously. Maybe if I had, then none of this would have happened to begin with. Now I wonder if my brother will ever marry…"

"He will have to, in time. Remember that one of his most important duties as the Pharaoh is to provide Egypt with an heir. It is one that he is reminded of every day, and he knows it as well as anyone."

"But he insists on waiting until he finds a woman that he can love, and I wonder if he'll ever find a woman that will come close to Mana in his heart. Also, remember what I told you, that Aset has told me that the line of Horus will continue through me- rather, us?"

He gently laid a hand on my stomach. "Well, either way, the sooner your brother marries, the better. He cannot rely on us. Although I suppose that all that really matters is that the line of Horus has an heir, be it from him or from us. Any sign yet?"

I shook my head. "I had hoped, since my blood hadn't come, but it just came yesterday," I replied ruefully.

"No matter," he said carelessly. "That means that we get to keep trying until we conceive." He gently nibbled at my earlobe.

I giggled and nestled closer to him. "I'm sorry, Mad, but I do believe that I've been neglecting Nephthys of late, and she really needs the exercise."

He let me stand up. "I believe that it's been a while since I visited Bata too. I do hope they're not busy trying to create another foal." I laughed, linked my arm in his, and together we made our way to the stables for a much-needed visit with our four-legged friends.

* * *

I bit my lip against the irksome jostling of the crowd, the only thing about the marketplace that I did not like. People were shouting at each other in foreign languages that I could not recognize, and I wished that a part of my education had included learning multiple languages.

I clutched at the pouch of beads that I had purchased, hoping to stop by the herb store on Lady Aseneit's behalf. I was alone that day; Aramen was still resting from having given birth. However, I was seized by a strong restlessness to go out into the city, and instead of taking a maid with me and setting the tongues wagging (which was what Mahado would have wanted me to do), I decided to hazard it alone.

Suddenly, I spotted a mob ahead, and they were hurling insult after insult as well as stones. Perplexed, I pushed my way to the front and saw with horror that it was a woman that they were throwing stones at: a pale woman with white hair. She was unlike any I had ever seen and she was murmuring, "Please, just a drink of water…"

"Go away! We don't need the likes of witches like you here!" A man was shouting. The stone he threw struck her in the head, and she fell unconscious.

"The superstitions of these peasants," I muttered to myself. I immediately ran forward to help the girl to her feet.

"What are you doing, miss!" a young man rushed to my side. "It isn't safe for you here! Come, let me escort you to your home."  
"Yes, let us have our fun," another boorish man said.

"No, you ruthless brute! I will not let you harm an innocent woman! Leave her alone!"

The man laughed. "Who are you to give orders to us?"

My anger got the better of me. In an instant I changed my disguise and into my original form. The man's eyes widened with terror, and he and the others fell to their knees. "Forgive me, my Queen… I did not recognize you."

"But of course you didn't," I replied tartly. "That was my intention. Do you think that I would want to be recognized so easily if I should choose to wander through the streets of the city?"

He was shaking. "I… I suppose not, my Queen."

"But such scum isn't fit to lay eyes on Your Divine Majesty!" a woman asserted. "This whore is a witch! Look at her eyes!"  
I gently lifted one of her eyelids, and I saw that her eyes were an icy blue, nothing like the warm azure orbs that Seto or Teana possessed. They were like the rarest sapphires, and a shade that I had never seen before.

But I stood and turned to the woman. "She is not the only creature to possess light eyes. Look at the Lord Seto, and look at me. We both possess blue eyes, and yet you do not call me a witch, do you, you superstitious peasant?"

She bowed her head, looked at me with thinly veiled loathing, and said nothing.

"Good citizens of Egypt," I called out, now noticing that I was drawing a crowd. "Who are we to show such rudeness to foreigners? This is not behavior that befits the Two Kingdoms, and towards citizens of the other kingdoms on which we rely on for trade. Many foreigners dwell in the city, and yet you single out this one girl. No more, I say! If I hear of one more atrocious act, I shall see to it that my brother doubles the guard on the city! And I shall be watching, and you never know when I shall be out in disguise! So heed my warning! Now be on your way!" The mob dispersed, some of the men glancing at me suspiciously, and some of the women whispering to each other. No doubt my presence in the city and my intervention would spread like wildfire, eventually reaching my brother and my husband. But in the meantime, I would attend to the strange girl.

The young man stayed. "My Queen, allow this humble man to assist you."

I smiled and nodded. "That would be most welcome. Can you carry her to the palace?"

"Most certainly; I am used to carrying heavy sacks of grain. Surely she shall be no burden."

I nodded. "Let us proceed then." He gently picked her up, and two guards had materialized out of nowhere to escort us. I turned to them. "You are supposed to keep the peace in the city," I said sharply. "How is it that you allowed such a thing to happen?"

One of the guards bowed. "Forgive me, my Queen. We were a distance away, and by the time we had arrived, you were already there, protecting the girl."

"Be more vigilant the next time," I ordered.

"It shall be done."

I slid my glance along to the man carrying the girl. "It is most kind of you to look out for my welfare," I said in an attempt to start a conversation.

"It is an honor to serve you, my Queen," he replied. "You are as noble as they say."

"What is your name?"

"I am Amunhir, the son of Thutmasen of the Guild of Sorcerers."

"And what, pray tell, is someone of the Guild of Sorcerers doing out and about in the city?"  
"I could say the same for the Queen Regent of Egypt," he rejoined with a twinkle in his eye. "Besides, my father is only one of the lowliest of the common magicians, not those privileged to serve in the Court of the Living Horus. But I am training hard, and I hope to be able to have that honor one day."

"Is that so? Are you one of the students of my husband, the Lord Mahado?"

He shook his head. "Would that I were! But he only takes on the nobles who are training to become the elite _hekaus_."

"I see," I said thoughtfully, thinking about how I could repay this man's kindness. "Well, I'm sure that somehow, you will find a way to achieve your goals."

"I thank you, my lady Queen." We continued the rest of the way in silence.

"He's with me," I said in answer to the guards' questioning glances, "as well as the girl." They admitted us through, and I immediately wound my way to the medical wing. "You can set her down here." I indicated towards a bed, and he obeyed. "I cannot thank you enough for this, Amunhir. Tell me where you live, and I shall see that you are rewarded amply."

"I live in the third house on the Street of the Ibises, if you are coming from the marketplace. But no compensation is needed. It was an honor to have met you and to be able to be of assistance to you, my lady Queen, and I shall remember this day for the rest of my life."

I nodded. "In that case, a servant will escort you out." I waved my hand, and a young maid immediately stepped forward to do my bidding.

I turned to the girl, who had awoken and immediately started trembling. I conjured a cup of water and handed it to her. "Do not be afraid," I said gently. "I'm here to help you. You're safe here."

"Where am I?" she asked softly, still shaking.

"You are in the royal palace, and I am the Queen Regent Jasana," I answered. I heard footsteps behind me, and turned to greet Lady Aseneit. "Lady Aseneit here is our head healer. She will take care of you, and see to it that you recover here. Rest, and I will send someone with food in a little while."

"I don't know how I can repay you, Your Majesty…"

"There is no need. I can see that you've had a rough time. You may stay here for as long as you wish."

"But I don't want to be a burden…"

"I can always use new apprentices," Lady Aseneit said. "I shall be glad to take you on." She glanced at me, and I could tell that she was thinking of Yewera, the last apprentice that she had taken on. But something in my bones told me that this girl would be nothing like Yewera. "What is your name, girl?"

"I am Kisara," she answered meekly. "And I thank you both."

"There is no need for thanks," I replied kindly before turning to take my leave. "You are most welcome here."

As I left, I nearly collided with Seto. "Seto! Forgive me, I did not see you there. What brings you here to the medical wing?"

"I have come to fetch Lady Aseneit, some idiot has injured his leg and requires immediate attention."

"You'll find her in there then," I said, indicating the room where she was before leaving.

I went to my room to freshen up. Mahado was there, and as soon as I entered the door he closed it behind me. I knew that it was his month of duty, and so that meant only one thing.

"What's this I hear about you helping a witch and harboring her in the palace?" he asked angrily. "Are you mad, Jani? What will your brother say when he finds out?"

"First off, she is not a witch; she is just an innocent girl, a foreigner at that. But she has unusual eyes, and you know that the peasants have strange superstitions. And there was a mob attacking her! I had to rescue her, Mad. What else would you have had me do? And someone provoke me, so I revealed myself. I admit that wasn't the wisest decision, but otherwise they wouldn't have left her alone! She's harmless; Lady Aseneit will take her in for as long as she needs to stay here."

"Oh, she's harmless, is she? She won't try to seduce me and poison you with acacia?"

"She's not another Yewera. I know it," I said firmly.

His gaze softened as he pulled me into his arms. "I would have done the same thing if I were you, my love," he murmured. "But you know, this means that your escapades into the city are over. You have been discovered."

"What makes you think that? I revealed myself of my own will. I can still disguise myself, and no one would know the better!"

"Still, I've never liked the idea much," he said. "What if there's another _hekau_ out there who can see past your disguise, someone who can do you harm?"  
"If I'm not mistaken, the only other man who ever wanted me was Kenut, and he's impotent now. He can't hurt me."

"Oh, he's not the only one. I've seen the way the other men look at you, even though you're already married. Even some of my older students lust after you. I don't like the idea of you out and about. And this time you were alone, without Aramen."

I rolled my eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. "Mad, really, you've no reason to be jealous, and no reason to fret so much. I'll be fine, I promise you."

"I don't, do I? You're more precious to me than life itself, you know."

"And so are you to me," I replied, pressing my lips gently against his, careful not to arouse him. The months of duty were still hard on us. "Yet I don't fret every time you go out to make an inspection."

"But I'm a man-"

I stepped back from him, my mood quickly turning to anger. "And just what is _that_ supposed to mean? That you have more of a right to go out than I do, just because you are a man and I am a woman? By Aset, Mad, if you are taking on the mindset of one of those idiotic foreign men who think of women as merely chattel, I will use my heka to knock you about the head until you regain your senses! I am just as capable as you are- in fact, I am even more so, because half of your heka remains sealed away, or have you forgotten that?"

"It grates on me every day that I live!" he snapped back, turning away. In a completely different tone, he continued, "I know that it was a sacrifice for us, and for the kingdom, but that didn't make it any easier for me. Why must you remind me?"

I came up behind him, wrapped my arms around him, and felt his muscles soften under my touch. "Forgive me, Mad, I didn't know what I was saying."

He sighed and turned around. "I should be the one apologizing; I provoked you. But I still don't like the idea of that girl being here in the palace. Something just doesn't feel right- I can't place my finger on it exactly, but there's something amiss that I'm sensing."

"I'm sure that you're just being overly cautious, as you always are," I reassured gently. "She's just a girl. What danger could there be in her presence here?"

Apparently more danger than I was aware of.

* * *

Atem stood facing me, activating the wings of his diadiankh. An amused smile crept onto his face. "Well, Sister, I shall finally face off with you today. I don't know why we've waited until now to do so."

"Indeed, I have no idea why either," I said in reply. "Come then, diaha!"

But before we could make a move, a great white dragon materialized and gave a loud roar. We all froze in our tracks. "What is that remarkable creature?" Karim asked. "And who could've summoned it?"

I happened to glance over at Seto, and he had a very strange look on his face, as if he was recalling some forgotten memory that only now had resurfaced to the light.

The white dragon stared at me with its blue eyes- eyes like sapphire. I gasped and turned to my brother. "Atem, I have a confession to make…"

* * *

I confronted Kisara later that night, after the feast. I brought a tray laden with food as an excuse to go and see her. Even after a month of her staying in the palace, I still knew relatively little about her. She wouldn't say much of where she came from or her family; she only meekly and obediently served Lady Aseneit.

She was mixing a poultice, and started when she saw me. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to startle you, I only thought that you might be hungry. I didn't notice you in the banquet hall." She never went to the banquet hall even once for all the time that she was here, and I heard from the other servants that she was very shy.

"That is most kind of you, my lady Queen," she said, taking the tray.

"I've finally told my brother of your presence," I murmured gently, failing to think of a better way to start the conversation. I knew I had to tread carefully; if I was too direct, I might not get any answers from her at all.

Her eyes widened, "And…?"

"He doesn't mind at all. But I was hoping to conceal it from him, I didn't mean to alarm him. But today, when we were practicing ka battles, we encountered a powerful creature: a great white dragon with blue eyes- your eyes, in fact. Tell me, is this your ka?"

She looked away. "I guess you could say that… but I wish that it wasn't so. I am a vessel of the white dragon- it chose me, but I didn't choose it. It has made my life a misery because of it. I lost my family, my home…"

I gently covered her hand with mine. "Tell me everything. What happened?"

"The dragon didn't manifest until I became ten years old. As I slept, it would roam through the village. Somehow, my fellow villagers found out that I was the vessel of this beast, and they exiled me. Even my own family sent me away! I roamed the countryside, and that is how I came to be here. Everywhere I went, once the dragon manifested itself, I was driven out. I don't know how I came to be cursed with this creature, but I wish that I could get rid of it! Someone told me that the sorcerers of the royal court could help me, and that is why I came to the capital."

I thoughtfully scratched my chin. "Well, I don't know if we can help you be rid of your beast, Kisara. It depends on how powerful the creature is, and how great a part of your soul it has become. Extracting it and sealing it in stone could kill you. But maybe there's a way for you to learn how to control it…"

"I'm afraid of trying to harness its power, lest it destroys me," she whispered. "Every time I try to call it back, it drains so much of me that it hurts, and it haunts even my dreams. If you cannot help me, then I shall never be free of it, nor will I be free of the men who hunt me."

"What men?"

"There's a gang of riders, and they want the power of the dragon dwelling in my soul. Once they caught me, when I was really young, but a man helped rescue me- a boy named Seto."

I gasped. "Seto? Do you mean-"

"The very same Lord Seto who now holds the Millennium Rod- yes, that's him. I owe him my life, and that is also why I came here, hoping to find him."

"Well then, have you met him already?"

She shook her head. "I almost did, but Lady Aseneit went out to greet him, and so he never came in."

"Ah, that was the day when I first brought you here! Well then, shall I send for him and tell him that you're here?"

"No!" she pleaded. "I wanted to meet him, but now… so much has changed… I don't know…"

"There is nothing to be afraid of, Kisara. I think Seto could use some friendly company like yours. He is a kind man."

"I'm not ready yet. Perhaps later," she said uneasily.

"Very well. In any case, I'm afraid I have taken too much of your time. But know this: you are welcome here, and I will do everything in my power to protect you. This is your home now, Kisara, and you may call it that for the rest of your days, if you need."

She bowed her head. "It is too great of a gift."

"It is not. Everyone should deserve a welcoming home. It's only a pity that you lost yours and your family, but the people here can become your new family, if you would let them get close to you. People are not as cruel as you think." With that, I took my leave, eager to return to the arms of my beloved.

I collided into a tall figure, and recognized Seto in the faint torchlight. "By the gods, Seto! You really need to make your presence known, or else such accidents will happen more often!"

Normally he would have made some sort of witty reply, but that night he remained silent, and there was a haunted look on his face. "Seto… is something wrong? What is it?"

"Where is she?" he asked softly. "I saw the white dragon, I know she's here. Where is she?"

"Right there, in the medical wing," I said, indicating behind me. "But she's a bit shy, perhaps you should call later."

"No, I must see her now." He pushed past me and hurriedly entered the medical wing. I thought to go after him and offer some reassurance to the girl, but I thought better of it and rushed to my bedchamber.

I smelled the fragrant, heady mix of lotus and jasmine in the air, and smirked in anticipation as I opened the door. Sure enough, there was Mahado lying on one elbow, his gorgeous body softly shining in the candlelight. His wicked smile betrayed everything on his mind. "About time you showed up, my love," he growled, prompting me to rush into his open arms.

* * *

"Jani! Don't walk so fast, my love!" In response, I simply laughed and tugged on my husband's hand to pull him along.

"You wanted to come along, Mad, and so you will just have to keep up with me or lose me to this crowd!"

His grip tightened. "I can see why being out and about makes you so eager," he conceded. "There's a certain freedom in the air out here; it's almost like we're in Alexandria again."

"Isn't it? Here we could be anybody! Come on, I know just where to find the best fried almonds!" That was enough to make Mahado quicken his step.

"Well why didn't you say so? Let's go!"

We found the stall in no time and purchased two bags. I fed them to him, and he let his lips linger on my fingers, sucking until the last of the juices were gone. "I think you've exhausted the excuse to continue licking my fingers," I teased, reaching for another almond to feed to him.

Before I could do so, he fed one to me, and I returned the favor, letting my tongue wander all over his finger. "By Thoth, if we really are pretending to be peasants just for a day, I suppose there could be no harm in finding a secluded corner and taking our pleasure there."

I giggled. "In this crowded city? Has my oh-so-proper husband really let himself go at last?"

He grinned. "Why don't we find the nearest house of assignation and you can find out for yourself?"

We gulped down the last of the almonds, and I eagerly took his hand as we went off at a run, asking around for the nearest house of assignation. I felt giddy and elated, and it was as if we were clandestine lovers instead of properly married husband and wife, and I could see from the eyes of whoever we asked that they thought of us as such. Finally, we arrived at our destination, slammed down the money on the table, and Mahado carried me up a wooden staircase that clanged with each thudding step. He tossed me down onto a mattress filled with fresh-smelling straw.

He changed his appearance back to his normal self as he moved to undress me, and did the same for me. "We don't need our disguises here, my love, and I want it to be you and me in here, as we truly are…"

Ra was getting ready to sink into the west by the time we rose and donned our disguises again. Hand in hand, we ambled back towards the palace. "I hope my brother won't mind too much if we're a bit late for the banquet," I said.

He chuckled. "We had better change first and freshen up a bit; anyone who got close enough can guess what we were about. And I'm not really hungry; I must've eaten too much of those almonds."

Before I could reply, my husband tensed and pulled me behind a building. "What is it? What's wrong?" I asked anxiously.

"Shhh… I sense something. Over there." I looked past him, to where a group of cloaked riders was dismounting. I couldn't see their faces, but there was something foreboding in their stance.

I overheard one of them, clearly the leader, ask a man, "Have you seen a white-haired girl with sapphire eyes walking around these streets? She is a wanted criminal."

The man shook his head, trembling. "No, I haven't seen such a woman…"

The leader grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. "I don't believe you! Let me ask again!"

I didn't see what happened next, because Mahado was already pulling me back towards the palace at a fast walk. "I knew there was something about that girl!"

"She's not a criminal! I know she's not! She told me her story; she's the vessel of that white dragon we saw the other day, and there are men hunting her for that power! She wishes that she can be rid of the creature, but I think that the creature is too much a part of her soul to be taken from her without killing her."

"By Thoth, Jani! Why didn't you tell me any of this before?"

"I figured it was a secret that she wanted me to keep-"

"Even from me, your own husband?"

"Please, Mad, I was going to tell you, I really was. You just beat me to it."

"Well, no matter, because we have to get back to the palace, and as quickly as possible. I will warn the Pharaoh and the others of an impending intrusion while you get the girl out. Send her anywhere, anywhere that will take her far away from here. She can't stay here any longer- no 'buts', my love. She must go."

"But I promised her sanctuary, I promised to protect her!" I protested.

"And you can offer her sanctuary still, just not in the palace. Use your heka to disguise her and keep her powers hidden, and send her to the Temple of Aset in Memphis. They will help her there, especially if you send a document with your seal on it. Surely the priestesses there cannot deny you."

"Yes, that's a good idea," I agreed. "I'll do it."

Once we arrived at the palace, he quickly kissed me before releasing me. "Now go, and hurry. I don't know when those men will arrive here, but it's only a matter of time before they do."

I quickly ran to the medical wing, where, sure enough, I found Kisara. Much to my surprise, I saw Seto coming out, and there was a rare smile on his face. I didn't have much time to contemplate this, however. "There are men in the city looking for you, Kisara. I can no longer promise your safety here."

She blanched and rose to her feet. "What will happen now?"

"The men will come here, and unless you are gone before they get here, you will be found. We must be quick- gather your most precious belongings and come with me."

"I will come with you now; I didn't bring anything with me from my home."

"But surely you have some belongings that I have given you that you don't want to leave behind?" Without another word, I summoned them and stuffed them into a bag. "Now come; you will find sanctuary in the Temple of Aset in Memphis." I quickly conjured a pen, a piece of papyrus, and scrawled out a note, affixing my seal as a signature. "This document will guarantee your safety."

"But those men! How did they know I was here? What if they can sense my power?"

"You need not worry about that." I chanted a spell and passed my hands in the air around her head. "Now nobody, not even the most powerful of magicians, can detect you."

I led her along the winding corridors and towards the docks. I summoned one of the waiting boaters. "Take this girl to the city of Memphis," I ordered, shoving a bag of coins into his hand. "This is for all your trouble, and your silence. You will personally escort her to the High Priestess herself, and leave only when she has been accepted there. Nobody must know of this, understand?"

The boater bowed. "Perfectly, my Queen."

"Good. If all is ready, you must leave as soon as possible."

"It is. We can set sail now."

I helped her onto the boat, and laid my hand on her head in blessing. "May the gods keep you, Kisara," I murmured.

She bowed her head. "You have been most kind to me, my lady Queen, and these past few months have been some of the happiest and most peaceful of my life. I must humbly ask one more favor of you."

"Anything that is in my power," I answered.

"Please relay my farewell to the Lord Seto," she said, blushing faintly. "He has been a most kind companion of late, and I shall miss his company.

Now I understood that expression on Seto's face. "I'm sure that he shall miss you as well, and when this ordeal is over, I'm sure that the two of you will meet again."

She nodded. "I shall pray for that day." With that, the boat pulled away, and she remained looking back towards the palace, and towards me, until she and the barge drifted out of sight.

I turned to return to the palace, and one of the soldiers came running. "There you are, my lady Queen! Your husband has bid me to come and find you. Intruders have entered the palace! I must escort you to the safety of your chambers. Your husband has commanded it!"

"What? He must be mad to issue such an order! I must find them!"

"I must insist on following your husband's command!" The guard roughly grabbed my arm.

"You'll have to do better than that!" I cast a Freeze Spell on him, wrenched my arm out of his grasp, and took off at a run towards the fight, which I heard coming from the Courtyard of Warriors, where the soldiers always practiced their drills.

There were only several of the raiders on horseback- eight at the most, yet they were overpowering the guards that were on foot. Soon Atem, Seto, and the others came riding on their own horses, and sword began to clash with sword.

"What is it you want, intruder?" Atem demanded as he parried with the leader.

"We want the girl with the power of the white dragon."

"And what makes you think that we have her?" I demanded, drawing the leader's attention.

He turned his horse towards me, but then Mahado came flying at him, and he had his attention engaged once more. "Someone in the city told us that she's here, and we can sense her power here. It's strong; we can feel it. Simply hand the girl over and we will leave you alone.

"Never! We don't surrender innocent girls… even if we were hypothetically harboring her." I glanced at Seto in surprise. It was not like him to make such a foolish errand. He just as good gave away the fact that Kisara had been here in the palace.

"Ah, so she _is_ here! Well then, hand her over, and we promise that we will lay our weapons down!"

"Wait!" another of the raiders cried. "I can't sense her presence anymore! She's not here!"

"Is that so? Well then, someone must have helped her escape! And who would that be, I wonder?" The leader pulled up towards me and pointed his sword at me. "My blood tells me that would be you, my pretty."

Mahado furiously kicked Bata forward, but the other raiders blocked his path.

I raised my sword. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh you don't now, do you?" the leader taunted. He looked into my eyes, and even though I could feel my sword arm shaking, I did not break our stare. I cast a spell on him so that he would believe my lie, and believe it wholeheartedly.

_Hear me now_, I intoned in my mind. _You will believe everything I say, and do everything I bid. You will leave, and never come back, and go to a faraway land- possibly Nubia._ I smirked to myself, thinking of Teana's face when the raiders arrived in her land. But this time, I would make sure that she could not send for Atem to take care of this problem for her. It was time that the queen learned to solve her own problems as a queen must.

The leader's eyes glazed over. He abruptly wheeled his horse around. "Pull back! Pull back, I say! The girl is not here, our business here is done! We must leave and find her!" With that, he and his minions galloped away and were gone.

"Jani!" Mahado swung off Bata and gathered me into his arms. "I thought I told the guard I had sent to escort you to our rooms and keep you there! I shall be having a word or two with him…"

"Don't- I overrode your order."

"What did you do to him?" he asked roughly.

"Oh, just an innocent Freeze Spell."

Karim laughed. "I must say, Mahado, your wife sure has a will of her own. You can't possibly think that you could keep her away from the action now, do you? She's not my wife, and even I have more sense than that. Mayhap you don't know her as well as we all thought you did."

Mahado glared at him and punched a fist into his side, nearly sending him reeling off his horse.

"Stop it, you two! Stop it!" Isis screeched, planting herself in between the two of them. "Mahado! Karim! For shame!"

"Only a little harmless provocation, Isis. Just wanted to make sure that Mahado still has some fighting spirit in him," Karim rasped, choking out another laugh.

"Honestly Karim, you should know better than to provoke Mahado like that."

"Well, at least I know that there's a little fire under that cool calm he likes to maintain," he teased.

Atem sighed. "Well, at least all is well for now. But I don't like the sight of those raiders. I'll send guards after them. For now, it's best if we all get some rest."

Mahado moved to help me onto Bata, but Seto abruptly pulled Netasanet up to us, swung off his horse, and grabbed me roughly. "Where is she?"

"Seto! Have you gone mad? Unhand my wife!" Mahado barked.

Seto ignored him completely. His eyes were hard as stone as he tried to control his anger. "Jasana. Where. Is. She? You helped her escape, didn't you?"

"Unhand me first, Seto, and then I shall answer you." He loosened his grip, and I continued, "Yes I did. And rest assured, she is safe. If you still wish to know where she is, well, I'm afraid I cannot reveal that to anyone, for her own safety. But she is under the protection of my heka. The men won't find her, at least not for a long while."

He said nothing, but his face went slack, and he glanced back towards the river. Without another word, Mahado hoisted me onto Bata, mounted himself, and we were off to the stables. Something in Seto's face made me look back towards him, but he remained standing there, gazing with longing towards the river, in the direction that Kisara had sailed.

* * *

For the next week, Seto was quieter and moodier than usual. He often had a pensive look on his face and seemed to be distracted.

It was on a particularly beautiful afternoon I found him on the balcony closest to the river. I quietly slid to his side. "This sight never fails to capture my awe," I said softly.

He started. "I thought you'd be walking with your husband."

"He's training late with Mana," I said with a shrug. "Anyway, you've been brooding of late, Seto, and it's not like you. And I think I know why. It's because of Kisara, isn't it?"

He sighed. "What has she told you?"

"That you rescued her from those raiders when the both of you were young, but that was all. What was there between the two of you?"

"Nothing, nothing at all," he answered, a bit too soon. He turned away so that I could not see his face.

"You lie, Seto, and I can see that."

He turned to me. "There's no hiding anything from you, is there, Jasana?"

I smiled mischievously at him and shook my head. "Even though you've only been the most distant of friends, even you should know that about me by now."

"True." He turned his gaze back towards Ra. "I lost my mother that night. The raiders would have killed me next, but her dragon rescued me. I lost the only family I had left."

"So what happened then?"

"I sought my mother's relatives in another village, and they were kind enough to take me in. Life wasn't always pleasant, but we got by. I set myself on becoming educated, knowing that was my only way forward. And now, here I am."

"And so you are. But still, what is Kisara to you? I saw the way you acted when you saw that dragon. And you were so insistent on making her acquaintance, a rare instance for you."

"That one encounter has stayed with me, for whatever reason. I would dream about her, hoping to meet her again. So when I found out that she was here, naturally I leapt at the chance to see her again. She's the most unusual girl…"

"Has a woman captured your elusive heart at last?" I asked eagerly.

"I wouldn't say that… I barely know her…"

"But she has struck you in a way that no other woman has." He didn't say anything to deny it, and I felt my grin spreading. "All it can take is just one encounter, and a bond is sealed. I think that has happened to you."

"By the gods… to have found the woman at last, only to have her gone and it is likely that I shall never see her again."

This rare display of anguish from him touched me. I gently laid a hand on his shoulder, and he did nothing to shake it off. "Oh, I think you will. If the two of you are meant to be, you will meet again. I'm sure of it; we haven't seen the last of her."

"May it be so, from your mouth to Aset's ears," he murmured, laying a hand over mine. In silence we stood together and watched Ra descend to the Afterlife.

* * *

**Whew! This took longer than I expected, but that was also because I was on vacation, and busy meeting with friends. Thanks for reading, and, as always, please leave a review! I'm leaving in a week for a two-month internship, so hopefully I'll be able to put up one more chapter before I go!**


	56. A Child at Last

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**

**Good Lord, it's been a while, hasn't it? I'm finally back! And enjoy! :)**

* * *

I turned my face one way and then another, scrutinizing it for any signs of aging. This was the day that I turned twenty-four, and for the first time, I felt like I was growing old. _What if I'm too old for childbearing?_ I thought despondently. _How will Aset keep her promise to me now? _I peered closer at my likeness in the mirror. _Are those lines around my eyes that I see?_ I frantically brought my face so close that I was practically kissing the mirror.

Mahado came up and swung me around from behind, causing me to scream with surprise. "What in the House of Geb has placed such a sour expression on your face this lovely morning, Jani? This should be a happy day!"

"Mad, I think my face is starting to show my age! There are lines around my eyes!"

He scanned my face, and then kissed me to appease me. "I see absolutely nothing, my love. Not a single blemish or line, a perfect face chiseled by Khnum. Even when we are fifty, you will still be the most beautiful of women; you need not fear."

"Even so, for once I can feel my age. Can't you?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about! We still have our youth. If you think you're getting old already, how do you suppose your uncle must feel?"

Despite the estrangement between my uncle and me, I laughed. "But still… what if I'm too old for childbearing now? That's what I'm most afraid of."

"Oh come, don't let such dark thoughts trouble your mind today, my beloved," Mahado tenderly commanded, bringing an arm about my waist to steer me in the direction of the baths. "Many a woman has borne a child even at the end of their second decade. You are by no means too old to bear a child." Tipping a toe in to check the temperature of the water, he gently stripped me and himself. "Now come, take your mind off such depressing thoughts- today will be wonderful, I promise."

"It's always wonderful whenever I'm with you," I said, losing myself to his kiss.

A pair of ibises lifted their long necks to look at us before taking off into the air, their large wings bearing them gracefully on Shu's breath, whose caress was as warm as Mahado's arm around me. I snuggled closer to him and sleepily reveled in Ra's rays on my face and nibbled at a grape that he held out to me.

"There, that's a much more suitable expression on your face, my love. You always look so beautiful when you smile."

I widened my smile. "As do you. In fact, I've written a poem about it."

"Oh? Well, let's hear it then." He propped up another cushion behind his back and waited.

I produced a sheet of papyrus from my sleeve, cleared my throat, and read the poem that I had composed only the day before:

"Ra's rays shine  
In your smile,  
The akhs dance  
In your eyes.

The hand of Khnum  
Has sculpted this body  
That I love most of all  
And the arms that I want to feel  
Around me.

A kiss  
Is more delicious  
Than a drink  
Of sweet nectar;

Amenti is here  
When I'm with you,  
Where dwells the heart  
Of my life, the soul  
Of my love."

He clapped his hands lightly. "Bravo, Jani! I don't know why you've never tried to compose poems before; you're a natural!"

I laughed softly. "I suppose I inherited my mother's gifts; she was quite the poetess herself. But that was the first poem that I've actually written down; the others are just shadows of my mind."

"Well, for a first attempt, that was far better than mine. You should try writing more often."

"When I'm not fashioning piece after piece of jewelry, that is."

He chuckled. "Oh yes, either that or pursuing one of your various other hobbies. By Thoth, between the pieces you've inherited from your mother, the gifts from your father and me, and what you've fashioned yourself, you're acquiring quite a large collection! How will you possibly wear it all? I knew I wasn't so fond of the idea before, but maybe you should consider selling some of your work. I've overheard the other ladies talking of trying to find jewelers who can imitate your style, but of course none can come close to you."

I glowed with pride at his praise. "Perhaps I will, after I've amassed an inventory with pieces that I can bear to part with. Each bead is like the child of my own mind and dear to me."

"And like any mother, you want what's best for your 'children', don't you? And they're much better off gracing the necks and wrists of other ladies than sitting in a dark chest vying for your affections."

"Well, with such enthusiastic encouragement from you, how can I refuse?" Something knocked against the side of the barge, and we both started. "What was that?"

The captain of the barge casually looked over the side. "Why, it's nothing but a hippo, my lady Queen." Curiously, we made our way to the side. Sure enough, there was a large hippo. "A female, by the looks of it," the captain explained, "and with her is her baby." I let out a small gasp as I spotted the mini hippo at her side. Mahado gently pulled on my sleeve and pointed out a pair of geese with their nest.

"It seems that all the animals around us are breeding," he remarked casually, drawing me back to our couch.

"Mmmhmm," I hummed, already about to fall asleep in his arms.

"Well, don't fall asleep on me just yet, Jani!" he said with a chuckle. "Your brother still has something planned for you. In fact, we should be heading back now. Captain, set a course for the palace at once." Immediately I sensed a shift in the activity of the boat as the rowers worked to turn the vessel around.

"I hope it isn't too lavish of an affair; I like it when it's just the two of us."

He softly kissed my forehead. "I'm sure it will be more to your taste this time. And if you still have the energy, we shall visit our oasis afterwards. We are lucky; I do believe Khonsu is due to show his full face tonight."

Once we arrived at the palace, we quickly freshened up before a servant came to summon us to my brother's rooms. I blinked my eyes against Ra's rays slanting into the room, and was greeted by all of our closest friends: Aramen and her family and sisters, Mana, Isis, Karim, and the other Guardians, including my uncle. My brother embraced the both of us. "A most happy Naming Day to the both of you, Mahado and Jani! And may this year bring many blessings to you two!"

We feasted on delicious morsels prepared by Meret, and talked and laughed all the while. I noticed that Mana finally seemed to return to her old familiar self, eagerly chatting with Atem. Ever since that horrible night, my brother had forsaken the other ladies for the most part. He would still politely flirt with them, but he never pursued anyone after that, and preferred Mana's company. After many hours of his help, her heka was finally returning to nearly the level that it was before her ordeal.

There was one moment when I found myself face to face with my uncle. "A most happy Naming Day to you, my niece," he offered kindly.

I politely inclined my head to acknowledge him. Senupi and Dejet came running by, and I swiftly picked up my dog. "Thank you, Uncle," I said kindly. "Now, this small intimate affair is much more to my taste than a lavish banquet."

He smiled and reached out a hand to pet Senupi. "Yes, I've noticed that you always wanted to preserve a shred of your intimate life, whereas the Pharaoh seems to wholeheartedly embrace all the pomp that comes with his position."

"That is hardly a surprise, for he was born for the role, whereas I was not," I said carefully, aware that the last time I had carried on such a long conversation with him, he had suggested that I seize the throne for myself. "I can hardly wait for the day when he will take a wife and I shall cease to be known as Queen."

"May that day be soon," he said quietly, his good eye settling over mine. For a moment I saw a glow of the uncle I used to know, and then Seto called him away, and that glow quickly faded. I mentally thanked Seto for stepping in when the silence between us was stretching to an awkward length and I quickly found my husband, who was eagerly chatting with Semni.

"Puppy!" Iluy exclaimed, holding out his tiny hands to Senupi. I gently held out my dog to him, and he laughed as Senupi sniffed his hand and licked it.

"May I hold him?" Ankhseheret asked eagerly.

"Yes, you may. Come and sit beside me, and we can both hold him." I settled down on a couch, and she curled up beside me, taking Senupi into her arms. "My, how lovely you are growing, Ankhseheret! How old are you now?" Of course I was only indulging her; I was very well aware of how many years she had seen in this world.

She puffed up with pride. "I will turn four this year! Mother says that I can start learning how to write and ride soon."

I chuckled, suddenly overcome with the memory of Mahado and me learning our hieroglyphics. I felt a smile of nostalgia creep onto my face as Ankhseheret prattled on, "… and Father says that if I work really hard, I can become a _hekau_ just like him! Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Her question brought me back to the present. "Why… uh… yes! Perhaps Uncle Mad could train you himself!"

She wrapped her little arms around me. "Or you could, Aunt Jani! I know that you taught Mother, and she said that you were incredible! And plus you are just as good as Uncle Mad is!"

I suppressed a twinge of longing at feeling her small body next to mine. "We shall see, my little one. In the meantime, I do believe your mother is calling you." Sure enough, Aramen was beckoning, and I brought her over to where she was sitting with her youngest in her arms. Ankhseheret held Senupi out to her and begged, "Mother, can we please get a dog? _Please?_"

Aramen chuckled. "We already have a cat, my heart. Dogs and cats don't get along very well."

"But ours would! I'm sure of it! Pretty pretty plleeeeassse…"

"You know, you should enjoy the days you have left of not having to deal with that," a voice said into my ear, and I turned around to face Karim, his face lit with that usual roguish grin of his.

I smiled at him. "Well, well, well, and where have you been lately, my elusive friend? It seems like I haven't seen you in a while outside of the throne room!"

"I've been here and there," he answered mysteriously. "Training, working, all in the life of a priest. We just haven't spent much time together because you're also working and have spent every waking moment with Mahado."

"Well, he is my husband," I pointed out lightly. "But even so, don't you remember the old days, when it was just the four of us and we would go out riding? We should definitely do that again sometime!"

"If you can pry Isis away from her scrying fire. You might as well try separating a bee from its honey," he said with a laugh. "Yes, I do remember those days very well. And I still am ready at your service for a ride if you ever tire of your husband; my lady Queen has only to command."

"Well, I shall never tire of Mad, but we must catch up, and Jasana, not your lady Queen, will request your company soon," I promised.

"I thought they were one and the same," he teased, purposely provoking me. I jokingly glared at him.

"What's this, Karim? Upsetting my wife on this happy day?" Mahado asked with a laugh. "Always trust you to say such provocative things."

"I don't know what I've done to incur her wrath!" Karim protested. "But I do crave your forgiveness, Mahado. I only wanted a fraction of your wife's attention, whatever is not already spent on you. I know how you want her all to yourself."

"She is free to glance your way every once in a week or so," my husband replied, playing right along. "But surely you have enough female attention on your hands? I've overheard that you're back to being the heartbreaker."

"Rumors, to be sure!" he guffawed. "As I've said before, such attention is unwarranted. In fact, Jasana, part of the reason why you may not have seen much of me of late is because I'm always on the run from those ladies, hiding myself from them. Unfortunately, you are also a noble and a lady, and therefore one in the crowd."

"But happily married- surely I am the exception."

"Yes, indeed you are. The only exception." He affectionately wrapped an arm around my back.

The room quieted as Atem called out, "Will my sister and her husband please step forward?"

"Ah, and so the Pharaoh calls. I must relinquish you two. But fear not, for we shall catch up very soon," he promised me before gently pushing the two of us forward.

My brother smiled at us. "I have been wracking my head trying to think of the perfect gift for you, and suddenly, it came to me! I can't believe that I didn't think of this before. I know how you love the ocean, and so…" He gestured with his hand, and the servant next to him unveiled a stunning painting- an exact likeness of the view of the ocean from our villa. "Here you are: a piece of the sea as can be seen from your villa in Alexandria."

"Atem!" I gasped, hugging him. "Thank you! This is wonderful!"

"This is a most cunning likeness, my Pharaoh," Mahado said. "And a most wonderful gift."

"I hope that you don't mind that I gave the painter permission to enter the villa so that he could paint the picture," Atem said.

"Not at all," I reassured him. As I gazed at the painting, I was overcome with the foreboding feeling that this would be the only view I would ever see of the ocean.

"So? Have you a place in mind for the painting?" Mahado asked quietly in my ear.

I stroked my chin thoughtfully. "How about right across from the bed?"

"A good idea- that way we can always be reminded of that one night on the beach," he murmured.

The servants served a small feast with all of our favorite foods, and for dessert the chef presented us with a magnificent cake. Mahado and I fed each other crumbly pieces, and we all ate and drank and talked some more before everyone began taking their leave.

Aramen and Semni started the exodus, their sleepy children in tow. "I do believe these little ones are absolutely exhausted," Aramen said, looking down at the baby in her arms and her son, already fast asleep in Semni's. Ankhseheret was rubbing her eyes with one hand and clinging to her mother's skirt with the other. "We do hope that you enjoy the gift."

"It will be put to good use," Mahado promised. Their gift had been a book of very erotic illustrations.

Semni gave us a wink and led Aramen out. "Do come and visit us again soon. The children love having you around, as do we."

Karim, Isis, Shada, and Seto were next. Karim had given us another book of poetry for our collection, and Shada had somehow found a rare book about the history of my forefathers. Seto had thoughtfully brought a basket for Senupi to sleep in, although I doubted that it would be put to use; our dog preferred Mahado's pillow above all else. "It was so kind of you to come," I said in farewell.

"But of course, we wouldn't miss this for anything!" Karim replied. "And I could tell that this gathering was more to your liking than the extravagant party the Pharaoh hosted a couple of years ago."

"Yes, just a nice night with friends and family suits us best," I said. "And we must catch up again, Karim."

"But of course, you only need to name the day and the time," he said. "I shall look forward to it."

My uncle was next, and after we courteously bid him good night, it was our turn to leave. Only Mana was there with Atem. "Did you like this gathering?" my brother asked.

"I loved it, and I'm sure that I speak for Mahado too. You are too kind to us, Brother."

"Nonsense," he replied with a wave of his hand. "It's the least that I can do for my sister and my best friend."

"I thought I was your best friend," Mana said in a light pout.

Atem hugged her. "Oh, you are, but I can have more than one best friend. You and Mahado are both my best friends."

She giggled, appeased. "Oh, I can't possibly hold anything against the best of teachers; I was only playing around with you."

Mahado seemed to be flattered. "Well then, we shall take our leave, my Pharaoh, but this was a tremendous night, and I thank you for it. We had the best of times."

"I'm glad. Well then, good night, and I shall see you on the morrow, when it will be back to work for all of us." With one last hug, we took our leave.

"Well, my love? Shall we ride out to the oasis, or just call it a night and seek the warmth of our bed?" my husband asked.

I smiled up at him. "Oh, I think I have enough energy for a short ride." I knew that our ride would definitely not be short.

He grinned. "Well, either way, I shall ensure that you come back safe and sound, even if I have to carry you sleeping in my arms!" We swept off to the stable, where Bata was waiting for us.

Once again we made love out there on the oasis; it had come to be a sort of ritual every year on the night that we celebrated our anniversary and our Naming Days. As I gazed up at the House of Nut and sleepily watched all the akhs falling down to the House of Geb, becoming growing lives within other women's wombs, I fervently prayed to Aset to direct one of those falling lights into mine. She must have heard me, for that night, once we were back in our soft bed, I dreamt of an akh falling on me, disappearing beneath my skin. When I woke up, I was confident that it was an omen. _Please, let it be, at last… please…_ I prayed.

* * *

It indeed was. A month afterwards, I began to become nauseous whenever I smelled certain foods, and my blood did not come. I wanted to be absolutely certain though, and so when Mahado asked about my seeming lack of appetite, I told him that it was simply a disagreeable stomach, and nothing more. It was his month of duty, and so I had no trouble concealing it from him.

However, I could not keep it from everybody. I later consulted Lady Aseneit on the best way to maintain my health and that of the child growing in my womb. "Congratulations, my lady Queen. Your prayers have been heard at last, and I'm almost certain that this time, all shall be well."

Aramen ecstatically hugged me. "Have you told your husband yet?"

I shook my head. "I want to be very sure that I am with child before I do. So I'm waiting until his month of duty is over. So I have another week yet."

"How can you bear to wait so long? Every time I found out that I was with child, I immediately told Semni. Mahado will be angry with you for keeping it from him for so long."

"Oh, he'll forgive me," I said carelessly. "After all, this is what we want more than anything."

Yet I found that as the days wound down, I was itching with impatience. Finally, the night came when his month of duty was over. As we lay in each other's arms after making love, I whispered, "On the night of my Naming Day, after we returned from the oasis, I had a dream…"

Immediately my husband's body shifted ever so slightly as he fixed his attention on me. "What was it?"

"I had a dream of an akh falling into my womb, and I prayed that it was an omen." I rolled over onto my stomach and gazed into his eyes. "And it was- I'm with child, Mad."

A wide smile slowly spread across his face as he pulled me to him for a feverish kiss. "You meant to surprise me with this, didn't you?"

"Well, yes. I gather that it didn't work?"

"Tongues have been wagging all over court, so I'm afraid not, my love. And plus I had noticed your lack of appetite lately, and I know that the only other time you have not shown a hearty appetite was when you were with child, so I could guess. Besides, this shouldn't come as a surprise- it is what we've been trying to achieve for all these years. But is it a wonderful gift to have it happen at last? Yes, it is." He gently but firmly held me close to him. "The most wonderful gift of all: the beginning of our family, and an heir for Egypt."

I pressed my cheek against his chest, not allowing myself to fully grasp the thought that our child would be the next ruler of Egypt, unless Atem had children of his own. "Must we tell everyone else so soon?"

"Oh, I think we can keep this little secret to ourselves for a little while longer," he answered mischievously. "I say that we wait until three months are past."

I nodded. "Yes, we shall wait that long."

"Although I think your brother shall be furious with you if you keep it from him."

"Well, let him wait. He'll forgive me for keeping it from him."

"Ah, but you must remember that he is the Pharaoh."

"And I am the Queen."

"True, for now."

* * *

If I had my way, we would have kept it from the court for as long as possible. My brother did indeed forgive me for not telling him, but he found another way to punish me, although that was not his intention. The moment he found out, he immediately sent for the best midwives and physicians to attend to me, hovering over me and monitoring my every breath. The court's scrutiny was mild by comparison. Everyone was asking the essential question: "Is it a boy or a girl?"

Midwives brewed various concoctions that were supposed to ensure that I gave birth to a boy. Mahado seemed to be the only person who did not care about the gender of the child. Atem insisted that it did not matter too much, but he also hinted that a boy would please him greatly, for a boy meant that Egypt would have an uncontested heir at last. But if the child was a girl, it would be harder for her to be accepted as the sole ruler of Egypt, even though a woman had ruled over the Two Lands before in her own right.

I was draped from head to toe in various protective amulets, prayers were chanted to every god and goddess imaginable involved in childbirth, and other ridiculous rituals were performed that I can no longer remember. I was not to do anything to risk losing the child. Now it was not only Mahado who insisted that I refrain from riding; it was everybody, even my brother himself. I was to take an hour's rest during the hottest part of the day, and I was even excused from some of the meetings with the Guardians and the viziers should I feel too fatigued- the one advantage I saw to all of this. Nobody of the court knew of my ventures into the city disguised, but Mahado asked me to stop these until the child was born, and, that being one of the few things he asked of me, I grudgingly obliged him.

Women were constantly looking for excuses to share horror stories of their old childbirths, or those of their friends. They bombarded me with tidbits of advice, and sometimes it was all I could do to keep myself from screaming at them. The only advice I cared for was Aramen's and Lady Aseneit's, and they only gave it when I asked it of them.

One thing I would not give up though, and that was the use of my heka. I insisted on being able to practice like any _hekau_, but even so, Atem kept a physician nearby at the ready should anything go amiss, and I could sense that he was more careful during our mock ka battles.

Every time all of this grated on me, Mahado would gently take me into his arms and remind me of how soon it would all be over, and we would finally be starting the family that we've always wanted. "You might as well get used to all this attention, Jani, because this isn't any ordinary child you're carrying, it's the future of our kingdom in your belly, my love. But don't fret, for this is only temporary, and just think of when it's all over, and you'll be holding our child in your arms…"

I would sigh, temporarily appeased and comforted by his words. He had cut back somewhat on his overprotectiveness, since everybody else seemed to be doing that job for him. I dreamed of the child that I would be bringing forth into the world in a matter of time, and I had to admit that if having a child at last meant going through all this trouble, then it was worth it. But even so, I could hardly wait until the child was born and all the fuss ended.

"Reverse her so that I can see her other side," I ordered the Master of the Horse, who was trotting Meryetnetjer on a long line. "Good, and I believe that we can ask her to canter now." Immediately the three-year-old filly eagerly broke out into a graceful canter, carrying her head high.

"What's this? Working as diligently as ever, my lady Queen?" I heard a teasing voice say. "What would the Pharaoh think if he saw you out here?"

I turned around to face Karim, who was rapidly approaching. "My brother never said that I couldn't be at the stable or that I couldn't supervise Meryetnetjer's training," I replied a little tartly.

He grinned mischievously and held his hands out in front of him as if he was making to defend himself against an attack. "Peace, Jasana. I was only teasing you."

I smiled wanly. "I know. I'm sorry if my reply stung. It's just that everyone's nagging concern has been grating on me of late."

"It's like having ten Mahados look after you, isn't it?" he asked sympathetically.

"More like twenty," I replied wryly, eliciting a laugh from him. I turned my attention to the Master of the Horse. "I believe that is enough for the filly today; we shall continue her training in a few days and introduce her to the feel of the bridle and the saddle."

The Master of the Horse nodded, and I took the line from him. "Very pretty," Karim remarked, nodding to Meryetnetjer. "Soon you'll have yet another fine steed for the stables."

"I believe we have enough horses as it is. I'm thinking about giving her as a gift for one of Aramen's children once they learn to ride."

"Why not save her for your own child?"

"It will be quite a while yet before any child of mine will be old enough to learn to ride, and it would be a shame for Meryetnetjer to remain rider-less until then. Besides, I do believe that soon Nephthys and Bata will have another foal; I saw them mating not too long ago. Should that be the case, then I will have that horse be my child's steed."

"Ah, so I see you have the future all planned out. Have you also picked the child's profession and who he or she will marry?" he teased.

"Oh honestly, Karim! Of course not! I will let my child grow into his or her own person, as a good mother should!"

"So, you have no preferences for the child being a boy or a girl?" he asked casually.

"None whatsoever, and neither does Mad. We seem to be the only two people content to leave it to the gods to decide."

He chuckled. "As you should, although you won't be able to prevent everybody else from doing what they can to ensure that you have a healthy boy."

"Yes, although finally even Mad has intervened and said that I am to take no more concoctions or take part in any ridiculous rituals, thank Aset. Even he thinks that the midwives and physicians are being excessive."

"That's only because they are especially anxious about this," he said gently.

"I'm well aware of that," I said as I let Meryetnetjer join her parents in the pasture. Once she was free of the rope, she immediately rolled in the grass and bucked and kicked in a strange little dance of freedom. "Either way, Mad and I will most certainly have a boy in time. Before we were even married, when we first discussed children, he wanted five boys and five girls." I smiled nostalgically at the memory.

"Five girl _and_ five boys? That is most certainly ambitious! I am almost certain that fatherhood will exhaust him after the first child, can he handle nine more?"

"I told him that I want no more than six," I said as I linked my arm in his. "After all, if the child will wear him out, what do you suppose it will do to me?"

"Oh, you'll manage. Women were made for motherhood. As for men, well… some are, and some are not."

"I'm sure that Mad will be one of the men who are. He will be a wonderful father."

"I don't doubt that, Jasana. I don't doubt that at all. He has been extraordinarily patient about having a child, remaining absolutely unshaken in his faith that the gods will bless you with one, even though many other men thought him a fool for thinking so. But you will prove them all wrong. He has talked of little else since you told him; I warrant that you will have to compete with him in spending time with the child, for he will surely want to hoard it to himself."

"Oh, we'll see about that," I said sweetly. "Now let's go; this heat really is overbearing, and it's time for my prescribed rest. And I'm really craving a bowl of ice with syrup; perhaps you would be so kind as to fetch it for me from the kitchens?"

His signature grin spread across his face. "Whatever my expectant lady Queen- er, my dear friend Jasana- commands," he answered as he escorted me from the stables.

* * *

"Not over there, you idiot! I specifically told you to place that chest at the foot of the bed!" The maid started at the sharpness of my tone and immediately rushed to do my bidding, her head hung low. I regretted the sting in my voice; my temper had grown shorter as my pregnancy progressed, and everybody had had to put up with it- my husband most of all.

Another servant came, but before I could draw breath to shout at him, Mahado stayed him with his hand. "Leave it, I shall arrange my wife's belongings myself," he commanded. The servant bowed and left as quickly as he could, obviously relieved to be spared my temper. Once we were finally alone, Mahado led me to a reclining couch, and I sat down on it with a groan. The pain in my back was excruciating, and I was near to tears because of it.

"Just tell me where it hurts, my love," Mahado said tenderly as he interposed his body between the couch and me so that I was leaning against him instead of the hard wood.

"Everywhere," I replied wearily, tilting my head back against his shoulder.

"My poor Jani, this will be over soon. You're almost there," he murmured soothingly as he kissed me on the cheek.

I said nothing and let out a long sigh, trying my best to release all the tension from my body and my mind. Mahado's massage was gentle at first, his hands gingerly discerning where the tension was tightest in my back. Once he found it, his fingers began to knead deeper, and I bit my lip so that I wouldn't cry out in pain.

"Am I hurting you too much?" he asked anxiously, his fingers easing their onslaught.

"Not too much- it's helping," I softly answered. He resumed his massage, and I closed my eyes, letting the silence envelop us in its tranquility. It was one of those rare moments when no words were necessary, where we were simply reveling in each other's presence. He was there with me, and that was enough.

However, the fear that had been lingering at the back of my mind could not be contained anymore. I laid a hand on Mahado's knee. "Mad?" He leaned into me. "Are you afraid?"

"I think what you want to say is that _you_ are the one who is afraid," he said, ceasing his massage and wrapping both of his arms tightly around me.

I remained silent, not wanting to admit to it. "My own mother died in the middle of childbirth… and so do so many other women…"

"But you will not be one of them, Jani," he crooned soothingly.

I craned my neck to look up into his face. "How can you be so sure of that?"

He shifted his gaze away as he contemplated my question. "If I'm to be completely honest, my love, I cannot be sure. I cannot guarantee that I will not lose you and the child too. I do not know if I will be left completely alone with only my body left, but not my heart. I can only hope that my love will protect you and that Aset and Hathor will be with you and keep you safe. Anything can happen-" His voice choked, then he continued, "Yes, I know that anything can happen during the birth. The thought of losing you is unbearable, but it has always been lingering like a shadow through every pregnancy. The only way I have made my peace is by treasuring every moment of every day with you; knowing that you may die gives me all the more reason to love you with everything I have. And in truth, is that not the way everyone should live their life, for they never know when they may be called to the Hall of Judgment?"

I didn't trust myself to speak and only nodded. Suddenly, I remembered Aset's words to me: _"You will lose him, just as I lost my love."_ On one hand, it meant that I would survive this birth and that I would not be lost to Mahado. On the other hand, it meant that I was the one who should have been relishing every day I had with him, for there would come a time when I would have to feel the emptiness of his absence. I shivered and leaned into him more.

"Are you all right? You're trembling, my love."

I did my best to muster a reassuring smile. "It's nothing."

"Perhaps it's the night chill. It's good that I made sure there's a thick blanket on the bed," Mahado said as he helped me to my feet and steered me towards the bed. "And I believe it's time to call it a night; it's important that you get plenty of rest during your confinement, Jani."

I managed a small laugh. "I'm sure I will get plenty of that, given all the work I will have to do while I'm waiting for my time," I joked.

A small smile twitched at the corners of my husband's lips as he sat down on the edge of the bed. He laid a hand on my stomach to feel our child's strong kicks, and then bent his head down to kiss it before he kissed me. "I wish that I could be here with you constantly, but alas…"

"Tradition will not allow it," I reminded him gently. "And you have your duties to attend to. Don't worry; you will know when the child is coming. I'll make sure you're the first person told."

"And Aramen will keep you company, and Lady Aseneit will be close by," he said, trying to reassure himself. He grasped my hands and pressed his lips to them. "Just think, Jani: only several more days, and we will have a child of our own. It'll be the beginning of the family we've always wanted."

"If all goes well this time," I said, recalling my two past failed pregnancies.

"You've made it this far. I just know that this time, all will be well. I just know it. Now sleep, Jani. I will stay here with you until you do." He shifted his position so that it was easier to hold me. I curled up against him, and he gently stroked my hair until at last I fell asleep, exchanging my trepidations for the bliss of slumber.

* * *

"Exactly how long do I have to remain confined in here again?" I demanded impatiently, slamming the scroll down on my belly.

"Until the child is born," Aramen answered simply, inspecting the quality of the flax she was spinning.

I huffed, blowing a wisp of hair out of my face. "By Ra, I want to get out- go riding, a walk along the river, anything!"

Lady Aseneit chuckled. "Patience never was one of your virtues, my lady Queen, nor one of your mother's. She went on a ride the day after you were born. Such scandal she caused! But your father loved her too much to chastise her too severely for it."

"Well then, I shall follow her lead and take Nephthys out as soon as I am able!" I declared.

"We shall see about that." My husband stood in the doorway, his arms crossed. His face was set with a mockingly stern expression, but there was a mischievous twinkle in his eye. I smiled at him in greeting, feeling my irritation dissipate upon seeing him.

"My lord Mahado! You're not supposed to be in here!" Lady Aseneit's reprimand pierced the intimacy of the moment.

"Come now, Lady Aseneit, I asked you to keep an eye on Jani, but I do not recall asking you to keep me from seeing her. Besides, I miss her sorely," Mahado replied as he took a step into the room, his eyes never leaving mine.

I would have said something to tell Lady Aseneit that I was glad to see my husband, but just then a pain gripped my stomach, and I cried out. Mahado and Lady Aseneit both rushed to my side.

"Jani! What's wrong?" Mahado gripped me protectively by the shoulders.

"Nothing is wrong- the child is coming!" Lady Aseneit directed a maid to fetch Isis, and then turned to my husband. "Now, my lord, you _have_ to leave. Semni will be happy to keep you company, I'm sure."

Fear gripped me. "Mad!" I cried, flinging my arms around him as if it was the last time I would hold him.

Worry creased his face, but he did his best to smile reassuringly as he kissed me on the forehead. "Be strong, my love. You can do this, I know you can. I'll be close by." He then let Lady Aseneit seize him by the forearm and steer him out into the hallway.

"Well, the moment has finally come!" Aramen cheerfully declared, taking me by the arm and helping me to my feet. "We best get you into bed; this is going to be a long battle, and you're going to need all your energy."

Each step sent a stabbing pain through me, and it felt like my belly was being rent asunder. "By Aset, I'm not going to survive this!" I groaned.

"Nonsense!" Aramen scolded, propping my feet up and wrapping a blanket around my shoulders. "If I have birthed three beautiful children and survived each time, you most certainly will. Now, which story shall I tell you first?"

"I don't know, anything!" A particularly strong spasm gripped me, and I screamed.

A cool cloth was brought to my forehead. "Be calm, Jasana. We are all here to see you through this," Isis said soothingly.

"Ah, I have the perfect story to tell you! Semni told me this one. So, he was still a fledgling hekau and still had yet to take his vows…"

Aramen's voice was the thread I desperately clung to, but I could only make out the sound of her voice and not the words she was saying. I was descending, descending into darkness. _This is how I'm going to die_, I thought in horror. _Oh, Mad…_ _my love…_

_"Jani…" I see his face before me, and we are both children again. "Jani, he says, "I have something I want to show you. Come on!" He grabs my hand and pulls me at a run towards the river. _

_ "Mad, slow down! I can't run so fast!" I beg, panting. _

_He pulls me to the river. "Shhh… we have to be quiet… there, look!" He points towards a nest, where there are several little ducklings. I hold my breath, afraid of disturbing them. He's standing close to me, and he is still holding my hand._

_ "Isn't it remarkable?" he asks, his eyes shining. I can only nod. _

"Push, Jasana!" Aramen's voice came to me from afar. "Come on, push as if Mahado is trapped under a boulder, and you need to get it off him! PUSH!" I yanked on something and pushed with all my might, and then I descended into the darkness again, vaguely aware that Mahado was calling out my name.

_"Jani…" He is pushing me against a wall, his voice hoarse as he tries in vain to restrain his passion. His lips hungrily devour mine, and his hands are pawing at my breasts. My hands travel to his belt, where I grasp at his hardness. _

_ "Mad…" I moan in between our frenzied kisses, "How long… must we… wait?"_

_ He pulls away with a frustrated sigh. "Too long, it seems. But soon... soon we'll be married…" He bends his head and resumes his kisses, and I'm drowning in this sweet, agonizing bliss…_

"Stay focused, my lady Queen!" Lady Aseneit commanded. "It's time to push again! Come on, your mother did it, and so can you!" I obeyed her as best as I could. Soon enough, the pain subsided, and the darkness overcame me once more.

_I lazily open my eyes to see my husband already dressed, setting a white lotus blossom on his pillow next to mine. He smiles sheepishly. "So you've caught me, my love." He leans over and kisses me. "Every day I love you more, Jani; you are the life force that sustains every breath and every beat of my heart." His words bring tears to my eyes, and I pull him closer to me…_

Now the pain was unbearable, and the scream tore through me. "Come on, Jasana, you're almost there! There's a head! Push! Push for Mahado and your child!" Goaded onwards by Lady Aseneit, Isis, and Aramen, I pushed. The memories of all the years Mahado and I had spent together fused together until I could no longer tell one memory from the next.

"Aset! Help me!" I cried as my body gave one last shudder, and I felt a heavy burden flow out between my legs. A strong cry pierced the air.

"It's a girl! You did it, Jasana!" Aramen squealed.

In my dazed state, I could hardly believe it. "A girl… my daughter…" I whispered.

Isis gently placed a small bundle in my arms. "Strong and healthy," she confirmed, beaming.

I gazed down at my daughter, just taking in every little detail: her tiny hands, her perfect face, her shut eyes.

"Jani!" Mahado rushed to my side and rained kisses all over my face. "Thank Thoth… I was so afraid…" He then looked down at our baby. "A girl…" he murmured. "She's perfect." He gazed at me, eyes aglow with love. "So, what shall we name her?"

"Tarimut-meryetra," I replied. "Tari, for short."

"Tari it is then," my husband agreed. He settled himself on the bed and gathered the both of us to him. Everyone else discreetly slipped out as we fell asleep, the child we had been longing for secure in our arms.

* * *

**So, as promised, the child has come at last! Please leave a review, I would love to hear from you regardless of if you've been reading from the very beginning or just stumbled upon this today. I can't promise when the next chapter will be up, but hopefully I'll be able to get something up sometime this semester :)  
**


	57. A Sense of Peace

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**

**FINALLY! This chapter took forever to write! Enjoy!**

* * *

"Ra's sake, Mad! Let me hold her!" I held out my arms in supplication. "You've always been the one to have her in your arms. Besides, it's time for her feeding, and you can't exactly do that, I'm afraid."

The slightest of pouts teased at Mahado's lips, and he gently handed our daughter over to me. "You never know, I might have the power to feed her too."

I laughed. "You might… if you had the breasts." Tari started sucking greedily, and I felt contentment settle over me like a warm blanket. Mahado stood by my side, watching us like a hawk. "Don't you have some duties to attend to or something?" I asked pointedly.

He started, and then glanced at the sundial. "Well, it's almost time for Mana's lesson. I had forgotten…"

"Off with you then," I said sweetly, eager to spend some time alone with Tari.

Mahado swiftly kissed our baby on the forehead, and then kissed me. He walked towards the door, but then turned around and said, "If you need anything-"

"I'll be fine! Go!" I urged, instantly chiding myself for being blunter than I had intended. He smiled sheepishly and walked out the door.

* * *

"I can already tell she's going to be a beauty," Aramen said as she admired my daughter. "Just look at her, not yet a month after her birth!" Indeed, Tari's eyes, indigo like any other baby's, were already showing signs of lightening to the turquoise of mine.

I simply beamed and took her back into my arms. "She's perfect," I murmured. "Did you feel like this when Ankhseheret was born?"

"Like I never wanted to let her go and could never tire of looking at her? Of course! It is like that for all my children, and I'm sure it will be the same for you too," she replied with a laugh. "So, who is winning in this competition of who gets to hold her the most: you or Mahado?"

I rolled my eyes, half-pretending exasperation. "I have to practically wrestle her from him every single time. In fact, I'm glad that he has his duties to attend to, because otherwise he'd be here right now. I think I have been usurped in his heart, Aramen!"

We both started laughing at that. "I'm sure that soon enough, he'll be happy to leave all the caretaking to you," she replied. "Semni was besotted with Ankhseheret, but whenever it came time to change her rags or when she was sick, you can guess that was when he was less than charmed." She signaled for the servant to bring more barley water, and I started to feed my daughter. After a pause of silence, she asked, "So, have you started to look for a nurse for her?"

I looked at her. "A nurse for Tari?"

"Indeed. Unless you intend to give up all your duties as Queen Regent and attend to her constantly? Knowing you, I would think that eventually you would want to return to the role you play in the Two Lands."

I gazed down at Tari. She looked so still, so helpless, and in that moment, I wanted to hold her forever. "I don't know… Mad and I haven't talked about it. But I suppose we should. I can't stay in my rooms forever, and he is already reluctantly returning to his duties."

"I understand your reluctance," she said gently. "I had my own reservations too when I was looking for a nurse for my children. But with my duties and Semni's, it was necessary for us to find one. It's just a matter of finding a good-hearted girl to do the job." She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe one of my sisters would know of someone… I can ask them for you."

"That would be most helpful," I agreed. "Who is it that looks after your children?"

"Maliyah. Lovely girl, and a fellow acolyte of Meret's at the Temple of Hathor," she answered. "Perhaps she may be able to look after Tari as well."

Just then, we heard our husbands laughing in the hallway. "Well, don't you always enter at the perfect time!" Aramen teased as Semni greeted her with a kiss.

Mahado leaned over Tari to kiss me, and then took our baby into his arms. "How is our little goddess today?"

"Well as always," I replied happily.

"I hope you're not thinking of leaving just yet," Semni said, wrapping an arm around Aramen's shoulder. "You must dine with us; it's been too long!"

"It has been a while," I concurred, looking to Mahado to answer for us.

He glanced at our baby, and I could sense his hesitation. Semni seemed to notice it as well, for he teased, "Oh for Thoth's sake, Mahado, little Tari can hold up for a few hours without your company; she's been doing splendidly so far. Isn't that right, Jasana?"

I nodded. "I fed her just now, so she should not need me until later tonight."

"Then it's settled: you will dine with us and Maliyah can watch over Tari in the meantime. She can sleep with Ahmose," Aramen decreed.

It was the loveliest evening we had had since Tari's birth. Ankhseheret and Iluy joined us, and after the meal the men amused the children with magic demonstrations while Aramen and I watched and talked quietly. Finally, the children were sent to bed and the four of us were left to talk amongst ourselves.

"This is the most relaxed I've seen you since you became parents," Semni casually remarked.

I chuckled. "This is definitely the most relaxed Mad has been," I replied, giving my husband a playful nudge. "For once he's managed to talk about something other than our daughter."

"You seem more at ease tonight as well, Jasana. Motherhood does take a lot of you, does it not?" Aramen pointed out.

"Indeed." I let out a little sigh. "There is no doubt about that- all those nights of waking to feed the baby have been exhausting. But it's worth it."

"Maliyah has been most helpful, especially since we have more than one little rascal to deal with," Semni said. He turned to his wife. "Have you offered to help them look for a nurse yet?"

"Yes, we were talking of it earlier." I glanced at Mahado, and the unsurprised expression on his face indicated that Semni must have talked to him when they had a private moment away from their students.

"I'd rather that Jani and I discuss the matter first and conduct our own search," he said smoothly, "but your assistance would be most welcome."

Semni chuckled. "Oh, believe me, when Ankhseheret was first born we didn't want to entrust her to anyone else either, but there was no denying that we couldn't be around her constantly, what with our duties. Also, it's nice to be able to have some time to ourselves, without the children. You'll find that with children, you will need to allocate time to spend by yourselves, just the two of you, so that you can recall what it was like before. Otherwise… well… I've heard of too many marriages that have taken a sour turn once the children arrived."

"Oh Semni, for shame," Aramen chided. "If I remember correctly, it was observing the love between Jasana and Mahado that inspired us to marriage. If it has survived the threat of death, then surely it can survive the birth of a child."

"And the birth of many more," Mahado added, giving me a quick squeeze before rising to his feet. Taking this as a subtle hint that we were ready to head home, the rest of us rose as well and exchanged farewells before I collected Tari from the nursery. She barely stirred as I picked her up.

It was a quiet journey home. I had assumed that we were just too tired to engage in conversation, and it wasn't until we had put Tari to bed that I noticed Mahado was more pensive than usual. As we approached our bed, he pulled me to him so abruptly that I suppressed a gasp. "Jani…"

The way he said my name was a plea, an invocation, a profession- an entire conversation contained in a single word.

I gently cupped his cheek with my palm. "What is it, Mad?"

"I… What Semni said- about marriages taking a sour turn after children are born- I want you to know that such a thing will never happen to us."

"I know," I murmured reassuringly, leaning in to kiss away his insecurity. "I know, my love."

* * *

I slowly became aware of my daughter's hungry cries coming from the room adjoining ours. Even though my body protested exhaustion, I willed myself off my husband. "Mother of Ra…" I groaned.

Mahado, ever the alert father, was already half out of our bed. "Just stay where you are; I'll bring her."

"Very well," I replied, leaning my head against the wall with a sigh. Being a new mother was definitely exhausting. There were some afternoons where I simply could not keep my eyes open and had to take a brief nap. Mahado, however, seemed to have an endless reserve of energy. He always stayed up whenever I nursed our daughter through the night, and yet to the best of my knowledge he had no need of afternoon naps like I did.

Sensing that he had returned with Tari, I opened my eyes. "Come here, my little one," I crooned as I took her into my arms. "Shhh… there, there… Mother's here…" Mahado tucked a blanket around my shoulders before settling back into bed. "You can go back to sleep, you know," I said to him. "Once she's asleep I won't be far behind."

"But then who is going to keep you awake while you feed her?" he teased. "Already you look as though you're about to fall asleep right now."

"You're right," I conceded, suppressing a yawn. "But you need your rest, Mad. Eventually you're just going to collapse out of exhaustion, and that won't exactly look good in front of your students now, would it?"

"I can manage," he replied with a chuckle.

"How do you do it? I've already lost count of how many times I've had to ask my brother to excuse me from the afternoon meetings or when I've told Lady Aseneit that I can't assist her. I'm so tired all the time! But you, you stay up with us night after night and manage to go on, constant as Ra in his boat! And even he takes his respite from the House of Nut, unlike you."

"But he doesn't sleep either; he's battling his way through the twelve rooms (1) as we speak. Besides, he doesn't need sleep."

"Because he is one of the Great Ones. We are lesser creatures, and we need to maintain our health, which means getting rest."

"Or so you think," Mahado replied mischievously. "I suppose some of us just have more strength than others."

"Oh, so you have more strength than I do? How about you carry the child next time and then after the birth we'll talk about who's the stronger one?"

He placed a finger over my lips. "Shhh! Do you want to wake the whole palace?"

Tari, who was just drifting off to sleep, began to fret, and I mentally slapped myself for my outburst. I gently rose and paced back and forth, rocking her from side to side. "You started it," I pouted.

"It's not my fault that you are so easily provoked," he whispered with a smirk. "I must say, I rather enjoy it when you're fuming." Failing to think of anything to say in a biting retort, I could only make do with a glare. "Oh come, don't look at me like that, Jani. I have to find _some_ way to pass the time with you on nights like this."

"Because I'm always too tired for passing the nights the other way?"

"Exactly." Despite myself, I smiled at his wit. He came over and took Tari back into his arms. "Now, why don't you get some more sleep? I'll stay up with our little goddess."

"No, I can stay up a little while longer," I insisted. So we stayed up and continued to whisper to each other, as we had on every other night when our daughter woke us up. As exhausted as I was during the day, a part of me relished these nights, for they belonged only to the three of us, and no one else. I regret that I can't remember most of our conversations from these nights; I only know that they flowed here and there and everywhere, as they had done since the very beginning. They reminded me of all the nights when my dreams woke me up and he would stay up with me. As we counted the falling akhs, we would also talk, our voices mingling with the stillness of the nights that were all our own. But now, when our daughter was finally asleep, we would simply lay her down in her crib, wind our arms around each other, and fall asleep wrapped in each other, our conversations to be continued with the arrival of Ra's light.

* * *

Although we were reluctant to do so, Mahado and I could not deny the fact that we needed a wet nurse for Tari. It was only then that I would be able to conceive again, and we were well aware that we still needed to conceive a son that could inherit the throne without question.

With Aramen and Semni's help, we managed to find a nurse for our daughter relatively quickly. Apparently there were several priestesses serving Aset who were trained specially in looking after children. They often found women in the city who had recently given birth to act as wet nurses for the noblewomen in the palace, and ours was selected by the High Priestess herself. In addition to Nehmet, I felt drawn to an older priestess named Kaina, who had been graced with more years than most women would see on the House of Geb. She was considered one of the wisest of the priestesses, and she proved to be knowledgeable in the ways of motherhood. She graciously offered her assistance and advice, which I eagerly absorbed.

With Kaina and Nehmet looking after Tari, I was free to take up the duties that I had left behind when I became pregnant. Upon Mahado and Atem's insistence, I experimented with how many obligations I wished to resume. On one hand, I wanted to maintain an active role in running the Two Lands; I liked to think that I was still vital to the life of the kingdom. But on the other hand, I wanted to be involved in every part of my daughter's life, as Mother had been with me. I don't recall her ever hiring a nurse, even though I'm sure she must have at some point, or perhaps Nebatet helped to look after me. After all, she was Queen, and surely she must have been as involved in our kingdom as I was.

In a rare instance when I had some time to myself, I decided to wander into a part of the palace I hardly ever visited. Soon, the words of a song drifted to me, peacefully mingling with the surrounding solitude:

_Although your body is not here,_

_I feel you all around me_

_Your love in everything I see_

_Echoing mine flowing from my heart…_

Isis paused, sensing my presence. "Please don't stop," I insisted. "I didn't mean to startle you, Isis, and that was beautiful; I can't recall the last time I heard you sing."

"It has been some time," she agreed. "But the Necklace has been refusing to show me anything of import in these last few days, so I have been able to indulge in a diversion."

I sat down next to her. "Is that unusual, for you to see nothing?"

She shrugged. "The Necklace reveals what the Seven Hathors will to be revealed. It is not for me to command them to tell me what the future portends or to question what they reveal. Perhaps there is nothing that we need to know, for now." A small smile spread across her face. "Actually, it is quite nice, not sensing any danger for once. For now, we have a sense of peace."

"Indeed," I said, letting out a contented sigh. Then, out of curiosity, I asked, "Does it ever make you uneasy though, not knowing what the future holds, especially since your purpose as Guardian is specifically to foretell what the Seven Hathors have decreed for our kingdom?"

"Sometimes it is best not to know," she replied simply. "The Seven Hathors do not always reveal everything, even when they choose to make their plans known."

"I respect your ability to bear such a burden so well. If I had been chosen for the Necklace, I don't think I would have been able to handle the anxiety and uncertainties as well as you seem to."

"I have been trained to do so; it does not come naturally. Indeed, in order for me to fulfill my responsibility, I have to let go of my own desires. Otherwise they will cloud my vision."

"I see," I said, feeling an awkwardness settle over us. I knew that she was referring to the unfulfilled love she had for Karim- the love she still harbored in her heart. "You have had to detach yourself from everything, even me- have you noticed that this is the first substantial conversation we've been able to have in some time?"

She moved slightly closer so that our arms touched. "Yes, but that is only because you have been occupied with your duties, and I with mine. We are not girls anymore, free to talk away the hours of the night as we used to. After all, I think this is the first time that I have seen you without your daughter in your arms or Mahado by your side. If the first circumstance isn't rare enough, the second one is even more so, and to have both of them occurring at the same time is near impossible."

I laughed. "That is very true. Kaina and Nehmet have been most helpful. Much as I love my little one and being a mother, I do appreciate some respite." I paused to take in the sound of water flowing in a nearby pond. "Now that I think about it, I do not know if Mother had hired a wet nurse when I was a baby; I wish I could have consulted her on such matters."

"Knowing how busy she must have been as Queen, she most likely would have. Almost all noblewomen hire wet nurses and caretakers for their children."

"I remember Mother always being there though," I said thoughtfully. "And she was well known for ignoring the traditions that she did not like."

Suddenly, I felt something crawl along my lower back, and Isis and I stood up simultaneously with little shrieks. We turned around to find Karim chortling.

"By Ra, Karim! That wasn't funny!" Even though Isis tried her best to assume a stern expression, there was a glint in her eyes hinting that she enjoyed his mischief.

"Well, it isn't every day that I get to come across two important women who are supposed to be attending to their duties, not gossiping in this secluded courtyard instead. And you had your backs turned so that anybody could catch you by surprise. You're fortunate that I was just a friend intending to engage in a little mischief and not an assassin about to slit your throat."

"And you are fortunate that I didn't think you were and immediately stab you with a knife!" I retorted, reaching out to slap him lightly on the arm. "By Aset, we are not so dense as to be caught unawares. If the occasion arose, we would have been perfectly capable of defending ourselves."

"Of course you would have- as well as you could sense me coming towards you," he replied wryly. I made to slap him again, aiming for the back of his head, but he gracefully ducked. "I'm afraid you are only entitled to one slap per conversation, my lady Queen."

"But you are entitled to multiple insults!"

"Indeed, as many as I can think of and muster. That's just the way it has been decreed," he replied smugly.

"By whom?" I demanded

"Myself, of course!"

Just then, two girlish voices sang out, "Lord Karim! Oh, Lord Karim! Where are you hiding?"

Karim's smirk slid off his face. "I'm afraid I must take my leave now, ladies. Else I will not survive until the evening meal. Do a favor and send those jackals in another direction, will you?" Without another word, he ran around the corner. A few moments later, the girls came running by. We recognized them as some of the lesser noblewomen.

One of them recognized us and froze, her companion following suit. They both bowed, and the first said breathlessly, "Pardon the intrusion, my lady Queen."

I inclined my head towards them, and then before I could say anything, Isis said, "If you are seeking Lord Karim, he went that way." She gestured in the direction Karim had run, and I gaped at her in surprise. An uncommon smirk teased at her lips, and she squeezed my arm as if to say, _Be silent and play along_.

"Many thanks, Priestess!" With another bow, the two of them ran after their quarry, their giggles and calls trailing after them.

"Well, I'm surprised at you," I said after they had gone. "I would think that you would deter them from Karim, seeing that you want him yourself."

"Usually yes, but why let him have all the fun? Now come, why don't we go check on your baby? I want to see how she's grown."

"Very well, but I warrant we'll have to snatch her away from Mahado first. He spends every moment away from his students with her if he can."

We linked arms just as we did in our childhood when Meta wasn't there to scold us and remind us of our stations. As we walked away, we pretended not to hear the moment when the girls found their quarry. We simply continued on our way, doing our best to contain our giggles. It felt refreshing to have bested Karim for a change.

* * *

Contrary to what I thought, my husband was overseeing Atem and Mana practicing their magic. They were facing each other, ready to engage in a simple heka battle. Mana still had yet to advance to ka summoning, but I could tell that she would be able to very soon.

"So, my Pharaoh, you will be on the offense, and Mana will be on the defense. Remember, Mana, your aim is to deceive your opponent in order to protect yourself. When you are ready, you may begin," Mahado commanded, sitting erect with his arms crossed. Intrigued, I tugged on Isis's arm, and we silently tucked ourselves behind a pillar to watch.

Atem conjured swords and waited for Mana to raise her defense. She nervously looked at him, and then at Mahado, who gave her a reassuring nod. "Just be confident and remember all that we have practiced."

"I won't hurt you," Atem added. "This is just a practice session like any other."

Mana exhaled, and determination replaced the fear that had been on her face. She extended her arms and brought them across her chest, vanishing behind four large black hats. I smiled as I recalled learning this spell myself; it was one of the most basic battle defenses, and one of the most essential to ka summoning.

Atem pointed at one of the hats, and his swords swooped, striking at empty air. I let out a sigh of relief, remembering that the best that Mana could do was to conceal herself until there was only one hat remaining. The next hat struck revealed a mirror that sent the swords flying back towards Atem, which he deflected effortlessly with a wave of his hand. They crashed into his invisible shield, shattering into droplets of water.

"You're doing well, Mana! That was an excellent Mirror Force!" Mahado praised.

Atem aimed at one of the two remaining hats, and it revealed the Swords of Revealing Light, which surrounded him so that he was blinded and could not attack. Mana moved from beneath the last hat and swung an arm forward with a grunt, sending a force of Shu's breath (2) that knocked Atem to his feet. I could scarcely believe the strength she was showing, and she hardly seemed to believe it herself.

My brother helped himself to his feet, and the swords of light disappeared, admiration radiating from his face. Mahado rose and approached his student, clapping his hands. "Well done, Mana, very well done. And you are only at the beginning. Confidence is essential, and it is confidence that will take you far."

I will never forget how tall Mana stood that day, and the way that she seemed to glow with growing self-realization. It was my first glimpse at the woman she was capable of becoming, a magician who was only beginning to discover the depth of her heka and her abilities.

* * *

Once we relieved the nurses and I had my daughter in my arms, we continued our stroll through the palace. It was a lovely day, and everyone seemed to be taking advantage of it. Even Shada was out of the library; we came across him and Seto sitting in a small courtyard, deep in conversation. Above the whisper of the fountain Shada was saying, "But there is a reason that the spells are called 'The Forbidden Arcana', Seto. Few magicians ever learn them, and to the best of anyone's knowledge, nobody has carried any of them out. Or if they have, then naturally they have not survived to record what happened afterward."

"I understand your misgivings, Shada, but I think it worthy to study all magic, forbidden or no," Seto replied. Seeing us approach, he stopped himself from saying anything more and greeted us. "Jasana and Isis, Ra's blessings. A fine day to be outside, is it not?"

"Indeed. That's why we thought it best to take the little goddess outside and grant the nurses some relief," I answered, tilting my head down towards Tari.

"Forgive the intrusion," Isis said. "We did not mean to interrupt your discussion."

Shada smiled warmly. "There is no reason to apologize; Seto and I were just discussing the Forbidden Arcana. Surely you've heard of them, Jasana?"

I searched my memory. The name seemed vaguely familiar, but I could not quite remember what it pertained to. "I'm afraid that if I have, I have forgotten it. What is it, exactly?"

"Powerful spells involving very advanced magic," Seto answered, a slightly sinister gleam lighting his eyes.

"Very dark magic at that," Shada added disapprovingly. "The spells are only theories at best; none have ever been performed, and many of the master _hekaus_ do not even mention them in their lessons because they believe them to be evil. Some have argued that the spells should be taught to the royal _hekaus_ at least in case they should have need of them. But I do not know why anyone would even choose to perform any of them; it is a terrible way to die."

I shuddered. "To die? These spells involve killing oneself?"

He nodded grimly. "For example, one is a spell allowing the _hekau_ to fuse his ka with his ba, thus becoming one with the creature that dwells within his soul."

"Why would anyone do that?"

Shada shrugged. "As I mentioned, the spells are purely theory. As far as we know, none of them have been performed successfully."

"Which spells?" Mahado asked, winding an arm around my waist. I jumped slightly in surprise at his unexpected arrival.

"Nothing of import, really," Seto answered coolly. "Shada and I were simply having a very interesting and engaging debate, as we often do. It's just a shame that you were not here to join us earlier when we began."

"A shame indeed, but I'm sure there will be other opportunities for us to engage in debates," my husband replied calmly. "In the meantime, I have simply come to take my wife and daughter for a walk along the river. So if you will excuse us, we shall be on our way." I only had time to quickly nod a farewell to Isis before finding myself pulled away.

"Do you and Seto always get along so well?" I snidely murmured to Mahado when the others were safely out of earshot.

He chuckled. "He was actually quite friendly in that exchange. You should see some of the mock ka battles we've had in our training sessions. I really am curious though- what was it that you were all discussing before I intruded?"

"Well, Isis and I interrupted as well, but they were debating the merits of learning about the Forbidden Arcana. Do you remember learning about them? I thought I heard them mentioned before, but only briefly."

"There isn't much to know about them," he said, frowning. "They are a mystery. Whatever they are, they definitely are not spells for the lowly court magicians: spells for sealing one's soul inside another object, for harnessing the soul of another to do one's bidding, and the like. It's very dark magic indeed. I'm not entirely surprised that Seto would want to pursue such knowledge, because he is likely to crave any sort of knowledge that will put him at an advantage."

"What sort of advantage could he possibly have with this knowledge? To use it, he would have to sacrifice his own life! What sort of power is worth your life in exchange?"

"That, my love, is a subject many _hekaus_ are constantly debating," he replied lightly. "Anyway, such talk is too gruesome for this kind of day. Are you tired? Shall I carry Tari for a while?"

"No, I can carry her," I insisted.

We walked on in silence, reveling in the beauty of the moment. I could envision Tari as a little girl toddling on tiny feet, and Mahado hovering over her to make sure that she didn't fall in the river or get eaten by a crocodile. The future seemed to stretch before us, golden and shining like the river.

Mahado let out a little sigh. "I can't recall the last time things were so peaceful. Mana is making excellent progress and becoming a remarkable young woman. She's come a long way."

"Indeed she has," I agreed. "And everything seems to be as it should be- with the exception that Atem has yet to find a wife."

"No doubt he will in time. But for now, no battles, no conflict… I could get accustomed to this."

"Yes. If only every day could be like today," I said wistfully.

If only. But it was not meant to be.

* * *

**1- It's believed that when Ra descended every night, he had to make his way through the Twelve Rooms of the Nile in order to be reborn again, just like every soul did in order to pass into the afterlife.  
**

**2- The wind was referred to as the breath of Shu, the god of the air. **

**Thanks for reading! Please leave a review too. I know it's been a while, so my writing style could probably use some work. No idea when I'll be able to update again, but I'd like to thank everyone who has stayed with this story over the years, and those who have just discovered this. You are all awesome!**


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